Davies ton not enough for Worcs

Steven Davies does his best to help Worcestershire avoid the follow-on with a superb century, but his efforts proved in vain as they fell two runs short

Buy this photo

A defiant century from wicketkeeper Steve Davies looks unlikely to save Worcestershire from a second straight LV= County Championship Division One defeat against Nottinghamshire.

The left-hander made 126 from 275 balls, hitting 13 fours, before finally falling to Samit Patel.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann’s return catch off Matt Mason ensured the visitors were 354 all out, two short of avoiding the follow-on.

Opener Daryl Mitchell batted for just over five hours to make 80 from 225 balls, while England seamer Stuart Broad completed his first five-wicket haul for Notts with 5-79.

There was then time for Andre Adams to pick up two wickets in three balls as Worcestershire closed on 24-3, still needing another 127 to make Notts bat again.

After Broad’s deadly spell on day two had removed the first four Worcestershire batsmen, the 22-year-old looked set to claim his fifth victim with the third ball of the day, only for wicketkeeper Chris Read to drop a straightforward catch off Mitchell on 52.

Davies and Mitchell pushed the score slowly on to 209 before 25-year-old opener Mitchell, in sight of the fifth hundred of his career, edged Swann to Ali Brown at slip.

England seamer Stuart Broad completed his first five-wicket haul for Notts today, eventually finishing with figures of 5-79

Buy this photo

That proved to be the only wicket of a frustrating morning session for the visitors, who saw strike bowler Darren Pattinson limp off with a sore ankle after bowling just two overs at the start of the day.

But Broad returned after lunch with the new ball and a quick swinging delivery proved too good for Gareth Batty, who edged behind for 22.

Australian Ashley Noffke proved a tough nut to crack, which meant Davies was able to reach his fifth first-class hundred off 222 balls with a chip over mid-on - his first century in the Championship since August 2006.

The pair survived until tea and Swann, who had briefly gone off the field for treatment to a blow to his thumb, found turn and bounce to dismiss Noffke for 39 thanks to a good reflex catch by Bilal Shafayat at short midwicket.

Patel’s introduction produced immediate rewards with Davies driving in tired fashion to Adams at cover and Chris Whelan lbw next ball.

Only 12 more runs were needed to pass the follow-on total of 356, and Mason attempted to reach the mark with a few lusty blows.

But Swann forced the error and when the second innings got underway, Adams found movement off the seam to dismiss Stephen Moore and nightwatchman Whelan lbw, while Mark Ealham picked up the key wicket of Mitchell caught behind.