Tame end at New Road

Stephen Moore passed fifty for the second time in the game to help Worcestershire hang on for a draw with Yorkshire at New Road

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Worcestershire negotiated a tricky 73 overs to secure a draw with Yorkshire in their LV= County Championship Division One clash at New Road.

A half-century from Stephen Moore and solid contributions from Ben Smith and Vikram Solanki enabled them to close on 203 for three - a lead of 102 when play was called to a halt.

Azeem Rafiq had earlier scored his maiden century for Yorkshire, recording a 92-ball hundred in only his second first-class innings to steer the Tykes to maximum batting points and an unexpected first-innings lead of 101.

In the process Rafiq and Matthew Hoggard shared in Yorkshire’s record ninth-wicket stand against Worcestershire of 150, eclipsing the previous best of 146 by George Hirst and Wilfred Rhodes in 1901.

Rafiq, who made his debut earlier in the campaign against Sussex, had set the tone for his innings yesterday evening with a 36-ball 50 and he continued in the same vein in partnership with Hoggard when Yorkshire resumed on 413 for eight.

A boundary through midwicket off spinner Gareth Batty took Rafiq to three figures, having hit 13 fours and three sixes, but he lasted only three more balls before lofting the same bowler to Matt Mason at long on.

Former England paceman Hoggard brought up his half-century with successive straight driven fours off Chris Whelan.

He finished unbeaten on 56 from 93 balls with nine fours after last man Deon Kruis had been bowled by occasional spinner Moeen Ali.

Whelan, Worcestershire’s leading wicket-taker this season, took his first-class tally for the campaign to 18 with figures of 4-30 from 25 overs.

Worcestershire would have been disappointed to face a first-innings deficit as Yorkshire had been 108 for five at one stage in reply to their total of 415 all out.

But at least they ensured there were no final afternoon jitters particularly as the Yorkshire attack was lacking Hoggard, who rested up after being struck a blow to the head by an Ashley Noffke delivery, and Tim Bresnan who had a slight hip injury.

Rafiq ended an opening stand of 67 between Moore and Daryl Mitchell when he trapped the latter lbw for 32
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Moore completed his second half-century of the game with a six over long on before being bowled by Kruis for 52.

Worcestershire skipper Solanki (48) became Rafiq’s second victim when he pushed forward and was caught at slip by Jacques Rudolph to leave Smith unbeaten on 48.

Yorkshire have now gone 16 games since their last championship success in June 2008 while Worcestershire have experienced a nine-game run without a win in the competition.