A PATIENT half-century from Daryl Mitchell put Worcestershire on course for their fifth win of the County Championship season in the Division Two match against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Mitchell, in only his second Championship game, made an unbeaten 63 in five hours to give the visitors a precious first innings lead of 98 runs.

By the close, Leicestershire were in deep trouble at 132-5 -- holding a narrow lead of 34 runs.

Mitchell, 21, survived some close calls but showed plenty of grit and concentration on a pitch which offered assistance to the bowlers.

With Worcestershire in trouble at 189-5 he steered them to a total of 323 with his unbeaten 63 coming off 245 balls and containing eight fours.

But it was his concentration and length of time at the crease which were particularly impressive.

Worcestershire started the third day at 158-4 with Zander de Bruyn adding 17 runs to his overnight 50 before being bowled by a delivery from Ottis Gibson which kept low.

And when Chaminda Vaas was then caught at mid-off as he top-edged a pulled shot against 18-year-old Stuart Broad to leave Worcestershire 213-6 the home side must have had high hopes of restricting them to a small lead.

But Mitchell and wicketkeeper James Pipe (47) shared a stand of 84 in 28 overs to keep the home side at bay.

But on the helpful pitch Vaas and Nadeem Malik quickly made in-roads into the home side's second innings with Darren Robinson, John Maunders, Darren Maddy and Dinesh Mongia all back in the pavilion with only 82 on the board.

Hylton Ackerman followed with the total at 98, edging a catch off left-arm spinner Ray Price, before John Sadler and Paul Nixon saw Leicestershire through to the close and a total of 132-5.