Honours even in opening day in LV= Championship match
Monday 14th April 2014
New Road saw 12 wickets fall on day one as Worcestershire were dismissed cheaply in their LV= County Championship Division Two match against Kent.
The Pears began their season with a rain-affected draw against Hampshire and were bowled out for just 224 in their home opener, with Alexei Kervezee the only man to get past 50.
But they dismissed Kent openers Sam Northeast and Rob Key after tea to leave the visitors on 39 for two in reply at the close of play.
Worcestershire won the toss and elected to bat but lost Matthew Pardoe for a duck as he was trapped lbw by Doug Bollinger.
That brought Moeen Ali to the crease and he rattled off 41 in just 37 balls, including a six off England limited-overs team-mate James Tredwell that led to a replacement ball being needed.
He was then bowled by Darren Stevens and Tom Kohler-Cadmore followed just two balls later lbw for a duck.
Kervezee put on 92 for the fourth wicket with Daryl Mitchell before he was caught by Tredwell off Robbie Joseph and Mitchell followed soon after.
The skipper nicked to wicketkeeper Sam Billings off Joseph to exit for 47, a continuation of the good form that saw him register 172 not out at Southampton last week.
Ben Cox was next to go for a four-ball duck and Ross Whiteley (12) followed, bowled by Bollinger, but not before he had hit Tredwell for a second six. This time, the ball was found.
Shaaiq Choudhry (15), Gareth Andrew (14) and Jack Shantry (13 not out) all made useful contributions but the Pears will have wanted to make more on a glorious day.
Kent made a solid start and were 31 without loss when Shantry trapped Key in front for 11.
Choudhry soon rapped Northeast on the pads to send him back for 18 but Daniel Bell-Drummond (five) and Brendan Nash (one) saw the visitors through to stumps.