6.49pm – Close. Yorkshire head into tomorrow with a realistic victory chance as Worcestershire close on 22-0 in second inns, 143 behind. Coad excelled in first half of day on way to 5-33 before 10th-wkt pair Gibbon and Finch shared 63 to frustrate them.
6.45pm – One over remaining in the day. Worcestershire are 16-0 after eight and 149 adrift.
6.15pm – Worcestershire have opened with their last-wicket pair from the first innings, Gibbon and Finch. It could be night-watchman tactics but the way they batted at the end of the first innings it’s not certain. Nine overs remaining. They trail by 165.
6.04pm – WICKET! Finch caught behind for 24 off Steketee, who finishes with three wickets in 242 all out. Worcestershire 165 runs behind, with Yorkshire enforcing the follow-on. Coad finishes with an excellent 5-33.
6.01pm – Worcestershire are 242-9 after 89 overs, needing 16 more to avoid the follow-on. Gibbon 41 and Finch 24. We have 12 overs remaining.
5.28pm – Real frustration this for Yorkshire now. Finch and Gibbon, uniting for 30 overs, have opened up the possibility of Worcestershire avoiding the follow-on. They are 228-9 and have put on 49. The hosts need 30 more to avoid the follow-on.
5.25pm – Yorkshire have taken the new ball in the early stages of the evening. Fisher with it. Worcestershire are 220-9 after 80 overs, needing 38 more to avoid the follow-on.
5.19pm – The light is good enough for seam to be re-introduced into the attack, but spin continues. We’re only an over or so away from the new ball. Worcestershire 218-9.
5pm – Tea Report. Ben Coad completed his second five-wicket haul of the season, the 11th of his first-class career, as Worcestershire reached tea on day three at 215-9 from 77 overs.
Yorkshire’s bid for a second LV= Insurance County Championship win of 2023 remains on track, with the hosts still 43 runs away from avoiding the follow-on.
The hosts, replying to Yorkshire’s first-innings 407, need to reach 258 to avoid having to bat again immediately and advanced from 119-6 at lunch.
That has included a frustrating last-wicket unbroken stand of 36 in 23 overs between Adam Finch and Ben Gibbon, who have 22 and 18 not out respectively.
Coad claimed two of the three afternoon wickets to fall, added to one for Matthew Fisher.
After Fisher beat Adam Hose for pace and removed his off stump for 38, Coad had Josh Baker caught at cover and Joe Leach (33) caught at third slip by Fin Bean as the score fell to 179-9 after 54 overs.
Yorkshire then had to employ spin from both ends late in the evening session due to poor light in the form of Dan Moriarty and Adam Lyth, though the sun has come out again during the tea break.
4.48pm – Yorkshire have been told to bowl spin from both ends due to the light. Moriarty and Lyth the men. Worcestershire are 215-9.
4.25pm – We’ve edged beyond the scheduled tea break, with Worcestershire 204-9. Gibbon 13 and Finch 16. Mark Steketee has returned to the attack in place of Matthew Revis.
4.08pm – We’re due to take tea at 4.25pm here, but with nine wickets down it will either be early or late. Play would continue for half an hour to 4.55pm if nine wickets were still down. Worcestershire are 193-9.
3.41pm -WICKET! Leach falls to a super catch at third slip by Bean, going to his left, off Coad, who has 5-29 from 18 overs. It’s 179-9 in the 54th over.
3.35pm – Dan Moriarty has just completed his second over. Worcestershire are 176-8 after 53 overs.
3.25pm – WICKET! Baker caught at cover by Rickelton off Coad, 12. Worcestershire 170-8, needing to reach 258 to avoid the follow-on.
3.12pm – Worcestershire 166-7 in the 47th over. Leach 27 and Baker 10.
2.52pm – WICKET! Fisher bowls Hose for 38. It’s 139-7 in the 43rd over.
2.45pm – Worcestershire are 133-6 in the 42nd over. Hose 38 and Leach 11. They need 125 more to avoid the follow-on. Hill and Steketee bowling.
2.22pm – We’re hoping to get going at 2.35pm. The rain has passed through, for now. We have 63 overs remaining, with 16 overs lost in the day so far.
1.55pm – It’s raining again.
1.48pm – We have a 2pm resumption pencilled in.
1.03pm – Lunch Report. Ben Coad and Mark Steketee struck twice apiece during a rain-affected third morning against Worcestershire at New Road, the hosts reaching lunch on 119-6 in their first-innings reply to 407.
Lunch was taken 20 minutes early due to rain, with the hosts advancing from 46-2 overnight.
Coad returned an excellent 2-14 from eight overs bowled this morning, including a second spell of five successive maidens with a wicket. Australian seamer Steketee claimed his first two wickets in Yorkshire colours in his second match. Coad has three of the six wickets in all.
Jack Haynes was trapped lbw by Coad for 29 as the score fell to 63-3 after 19, the day’s sixth over.
Coad then switched from the New Road End to the Diglis End and had Pakistan Test batter Azhar Ali (22) caught at slip by George Hill with a beauty – one which left the batter having bounced more than expected (71-4 in the 28th).
Steketee then had Ed Pollock caught at second slip by Adam Lyth and Matthew Waite caught in the gully by Fin Bean off an inside-edge which ballooned up off his thigh pad. That came in the 38th over, with only four more balls possible before rain.
Adam Hose will resume on 37 this afternoon alongside Joe Leach.
12.54pm – Rain. We’re off for rain, and lunch is being taken. It’s 119-6 in the 39th over, Worcestershire needing 258 to avoid the follow-on as they reply to 407. Yorkshire have struck four times this morning, two apiece for Coad and Steketee.
12.48pm – WICKET! Waite caught low down in the gully by Bean off Steketee, 11. Looks to have inside edged into his thigh pad and it’s ballooned to gully. It’s 119-6 in the 38th over.
12.42pm – Worcestershire 116-5 in the 37th over. Hose 36 and Waite 10.
12.22pm – WICKET! Pollock caught at second slip by Lyth off Steketee, who claims his first Yorkshire wicket. Pollock goes for nought. It’s 87-5 in the 32nd over. Matthew Waite in now.
12.17pm – Worcestershire are 87-4 after 31 overs. Hose has 16 and Pollock yet to get off the mark. The hosts need to reach 258 to avoid the follow-on. Lovely afternoon now – as good a spell of weather as we’ve had across the two and a bit days so far.
12.01pm – WICKET! Ali has edged Coad to Hill low down at first slip, falling for 22. Nipped away and maybe bounced a touch more than expected. Either way, a peach of a delivery. Worcestershire are 71-4 in the 28th over. Third wicket for Coad. The hosts are replying to 407.
11.52am – Coad has switched ends to the Diglis End, with Fisher joining him in the attack. 71-3 in the 26th over.
11.24am – WICKET! Haynes trapped lbw by Coad, 29. It’s 63-3 after 19 overs.
11.15am – Worcestershire have navigated the first 15 minutes of play courtesy of Jack Haynes and Azhar Ali as they face up to Steketee and Coad. They’re 55-2 in reply to 407. 258 the follow-on target.
10.58am – The players are on their way out to the middle in glorious sunshine. We have 104 overs scheduled in the day. Worcestershire 46-2 in reply to 407. Mark Steketee has the ball in hand.
10.30am – The rain has stopped, and the covers are coming off.
10.14am – It has just started raining here at New Road. The covers are on, but some players continue to warm-up. Fingers crossed it’s just a passing shower.
9.05am – Good morning from New Road, where it’s dry and overcast ahead of day three. As things stand, we look good for an 11am start, but we’ve been stung by the weather at various stages throughout the last couple of days, so don’t be surprised to find a delay.
Yorkshire hold sway in this fixture and are in a decent position to force victory, despite the weather interruptions so far. Worcestershire at 46-2 replying to 407.
The hosts need to reach 258 in order to avoid the follow-on and make life trickier for Yorkshire.
The players are just about to start their morning warm-ups.
If you want to recap yesterday’s action from both here and York, where the Northern Diamonds were in regional against Thunder and lost in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, you can do so via the following links.
There will be a live stream available via the Match Centre tab at the top of the page. Enjoy the day.
