Sports India

A career-best eight for 45 by Matt Mason swept Worcestershire to a 58-run win against Gloucestershire and lifted them to second in Liverpool Victoria Division Two.

The margin of their fourth consecutive victory was surprisingly clear-cut after an epic recovery from 47 for six in their second innings. Ben Smith’s century eventually enabled them to set a testing target of 228, and Gloucestershire folded for 169 in difficult batting conditions.

The visitors may have been marginal favourites when starting the last day at 68 for one. But Zaheer Khan inflicted a crucial blow when his first ball, a swinging yorker, trapped Phil Weston.

Hamish Marshall attempted to build a new platform, but the result was signposted from the moment Mason produced a wicked lifter to have Kadeer Ali caught behind.

The big Australian fast-medium bowler, who became qualified for England this season, took four for 23 in a protracted first spell of 11.1 overs from the Diglis end and finished the job by taking four for six in 20 balls after lunch.

Shell-shocked Gloucestershire crashed to their seventh successive championship defeat in Worcester - they have not won at New Road for 20 years - and suffered what could be a terminal blow to their own promotion hopes after last week’s defeat by Essex.

Unreliable bounce when the ball was new had been a problem all match, and on the last day its effect was more pronounced and longer lasting. Once Mason had hit the spot, at least one delivery seemed to mis-behave in every over.

Marshall was lbw to a ball which cut back - and Ian Harvey was fifth man out, edging low to third slip, with Gloucestershire still 112 runs short of their objective.

Alex Gidman became Mason’s fourth victim of the morning with a leading edge to mid-on - and although Worcestershire’s support bowling looked unthreatening, they were able to go back to their match-winner in the afternoon.

Martyn Ball was helpless when a shooter ripped out his middle and off stumps, and Jon Lewis was bowled second ball. Mason then struck the final blows to have Steve Kirby flapping a catch to Lou Vincent, moving in from third slip, and Carl Greenidge taken by wicketkeeper Steve Davies.

Steve Adshead survived the collapse to make an unbeaten 22 as Mason signed off with a match return of 10 for 117.