Gloucestershire 258 for 7 (Hammond 128*, Bancroft 52, Swanepoel 3-50) vs Worcestershire
Miles Hammond stole the show with a terrific, unbeaten century on day one of an enticing Rothesay County Championship match between Division Two basement pair Worcestershire and Gloucestershire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Hammond's determined knock of 128 not out from 280 balls, built on patience and fine strokeplay, means that he and his side will return to the crease on day two on 258 for 7 and with aspirations of posting a sizeable total before their own seam attack have a crack at Worcestershire's top order.
Worcestershire overseas bowler Beyers Swanepoel led the charge for the hosts, but the bowlers had to work especially hard for their wickets in batter-friendly conditions before being rewarded with a flurry late in the day.
Gloucestershire, who understandably elected to bat in warm temperatures and on a new pitch, began their innings comfortably enough and were 28 without loss before Ben Allison snared the edge of Joe Phillips and Jake Libby at third slip held his catch well.
Worcestershire felt as though they were on top of proceedings when Tom Taylor tempted a rash shot from Tommy Boorman, who swiped to Dan Lategan at point. Suddenly, Gloucestershire were 35 for 2.
From there, Hammond and Bancroft (52 from 130 balls) began to patiently repair the damage, though their fruitful partnership was not without its scares or reprieves. Indeed Hammond was dropped on 22 when Allison, hunting his second victim, found the edge again but Gareth Roderick behind the stumps could not hold on.
Worcestershire passed up a couple of run-out opportunities, too: Lategan and captain Brett D'Oliveira went close when shying at the stumps to unnerve Bancroft.
Hammond - then on 27 - survived when the ball clipped the shoulder of his bat and looped over the slip cordon.
The visiting pair did begin to develop a little more fluency thereafter; Bancroft's back-foot punch to the boundary off the bowling of Matthew Waite was a particular highlight. The Australian opener then used up another life when, on 38, he feathered an Allison delivery to leg slip where Libby waited, but the ball went straight in and popped back out.
Hammond and Bancroft made use of those let-offs. The former brought up his half-century when cutting Fateh Singh for four in the 44th over and then, a couple of overs later, Bancroft pushed to the covers to raise his bat.
Swanepoel then struck with the first ball of his second spell to find the edge as Bancroft glanced through to Roderick and, a couple of overs later, the South African quick claimed the useful wicket of James Bracey for 1.
Graeme van Buuren did stay with Hammond and the pair added a further 46 runs before van Buuren, attempting to pull Singh into the leg side, succeeded only in top edging an ugly shot to Lategan at point.
Worcestershire couldn't prevent Hammond from reaching his well-earned ton, having faced 221 balls, however. He drove Ethan Brookes handsomely through the covers for four when on 95 and a couple of deliveries later he cut sharply to the same boundary to an appreciative reception. This was Hammond's second first-class ton of the season, having also posted a mammoth 145 during Gloucestershire's victory over Derbyshire in April.
The pendulum of momentum did swing back towards Worcestershire before the close when they removed both Jack Taylor and overseas Kristian Clarke, for a two-ball duck, in quick succession. Allison struck when he pitched a length delivery outside off stump which Taylor nudged to the sole slip fielder Brookes, and then Swanepoel produced a ball which No. 8 Clarke could only prod behind.
