Day one match report: Worcestershire edge ahead vs Leicestershire

Waite, who has been brought in as injury cover for Joe Leach for the next two weeks, first removed Harry Swindells before clean bowling Ben Mike as the visitors were skittled for 148 runs by tea.

Dillon Pennington and Charlie Morris picked up a couple of wickets each and Ed Barnard picked up three as The Pears made light work of the visiting batting order.

Worcestershire then faced 40 overs before reaching 153/2 at the time of print, with Azhar Ali (60*) and Jack Haynes (42*) in good nick.

The visitors won the toss and elected to bat first with openers Hassan Azad and Rishi Patel.

Pennington broke the deadlock in the fifth over as Azad (1) was trapped LBW before Patel (24) edged Morris to Azhar Ali.

Four wickets then fell in seven overs heading into lunch

Luke Hill (23) was out LBW to a Morris delivery before Colin Ackerman (1) was caught by Ben Pollock off the bowling of Barnard in the space of four overs.

Wiaan Mulder and Rehan Ahmed then both went back to the pavilion scoreless with Barnard and Pennington picking up a further wicket each as Leicestershire were left 61-6 at the break.

Swindells (23) came in and provided some resistance at least before edging Waite’s delivery through to Jack Haynes, as the new man picked up his first wicket in Worcestershire colours.

Waite had number two shortly afterwards when he removed Mike’s off-stump and then in the next over, Baker bowled Ed Barnes.

Chris Parkinson (22) and Chris Wright (27*) then extended the innings slightly as both swung their bats in order to get some more runs and they did so, adding 50 runs to the total before Parkinson was eventually caught off a Barnard delivery.

Jake Libby (17) and Pollock (32) wasted no time in eating into Leicestershire’s innings as both seemed intent on getting early runs.

But both fell to Mulder before Azhar reached a fourth consecutive half-century and together with Haynes, Worcestershire reached the close with an 11 run lead on 159/2.