WORCESTERSHIRE triumphed over Gloucestershire in a tense match but came away with the win with overs to spare as they climbed into a promotion spot.

The win means Worcestershire have climbed into the second promotion spot after clinching a fourth LV=Insurance County Championship win of the season with a 110 run success over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College.

Matthew Waite excellled with the quickest ever half century by a Worcestershire player in terms of balls faced – just 22 and the team dug deep for the win. 

They bowled out the home side on the final day for 311 after tea with victory moving Worcestershire 14 points clear of third-placed Glamorgan heading into the three remaining fixtures in September.

They sealed back-to-back Championship wins for the first time since the beginning of the 2019 season when they triumphed over Leicestershire and Durham.

Captain, Brett D’Oliveira, declared at the overnight total of 316-8, and set a 422 target.

Adam Finch (4-80) and Dillon Pennington (4-57) picked up four wickets each but Joe Leach’s contribution of 2-57 was also a significant factor with two key scalps.

D’Oliveira, Gareth Roderick, Matthew Waite and Josh Baker all made substantial first innings contributions with centurion Jake Libby, D’Oliveira and Waite, with the fastest fifty in Worcestershire history in terms of balls faced, leading the way when they batted again.

There were a total of six 50 plus partnerships involving Worcestershire players during the game.

They will now switch their attention to the Metro Bank One Day Cup programme.

Leach made the first breakthrough during an excellent opening spell of 7-2-15-1 from the College Lawn End.

Chris Dent (24) pushed forward to Leach  nd nicked through to Libby who held onto the chance at third slip with 37 on the board.

It was Leach’s 40th wicket of the season.

Finch replaced Pennington at the Chapel End and he struck the second blow in dismissing Joe Phillips (26).

He looked to work the ball to leg and top edged the ball onto the off side where D’Oliveira ran in from point to take the catch.

Finch then claimed the prized scalp of Gloucestershire’s first innings centurion Ollie Price (14).

D’Oliveira set an adventurous ‘V’ fielding formation with two players positioned at silly mid-off and silly mid-on.

Price was tempted by a delivery short of a length and another top edge was safely caught by Leach at deep fine leg with the total 76-3.

Miles Hammond and James Bracey dug in for a spell after lunch but, as has been the case throughout the game, two wickets fell in quick succession.

Leach ended a partnership of 53 when Bracey (19) pushed forward and Roderick clung onto a sharp chance diving in front of second slip.

Pennington came back into the attack and the fourth ball of his spell brought more joy for Worcestershire.

Tom Price prodded forward to his fourth delivery of the spell and Roderick did the rest.

Pennington secured victory by bowling Paul van Meereken (7) with 8.5 overs to spare.

Finch was playing only his fourth Championship match four years ago when he was the last wicket to fall as Gloucestershire triumphed by just 13 runs on the same ground.

He said: “One of my first games was here and the exact kind of reverse to today in terms of the result.

“We were batting for the draw but also in the end came quite close to the win and I got to within the last couple of overs after batting with Leachy (Joe Leach) before I got out.

“For me to be on the other end of a similar scenario is a real positive.

“I had spoken to Rodders (Gareth Roderick) about it because he was on the other side at the time.

“He said how nice it would be to be on the flip side of that result.”.

Finch praised the spectacular hitting of Matthew Waite whose second innings half century was the quickest in terms of balls faced – 22 – by a Worcestershire player.