WORCESTERSHIRE CCC claimed a third County Championship win of the season after securing a thrilling five-wicket victory against bottom side Gloucestershire.
Gloucestershire posted 289 all out in their first innings only for Worcestershire to respond with 388 to take a 99-run lead into the second innings at New Road.
And Fateh Singh starred with the ball on the final day to restrict Gloucestershire to 185 all out which left the Pears in need of just 87 runs for victory.
The home side lost five wickets along the way but reached the required total before the threat of bad weather could impact the result.
And the result means Worcestershire sit sixth in the County Championship Division Two table.
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to bat but lost Joe Phillips (14) and Tommy Boorman (2) inside 11 overs for the addition of just 35 runs.
Ben Allison (2-54) and Tom Taylor (2-69) made the early inroads with the ball only for Gloucestershire opener Cameron Bancroft (52) to reach a half-century.
Beyers Swanepoel (5-65) eventually accounted for Bancroft as he brought an end to the Australian’s patient 130-ball knock.
However, Miles Hammond (139 not out) finished unbeaten for the visitors as he faced more than 300 deliveries and hit 18 boundaries en route to a ton.
None of Gloucestershire’s remaining batters managed more than 25 runs as Swanepoel took a five-for and Singh (1-54) also took a scalp.
Worcestershire made a strong start in reply as Dan Lategan (33) and Jake Libby (29) put on 65 runs for the fist wicket.
The home side’s middle order piled on the runs as Adam Hose (52), Brett D’Oliveira (52), Ethan Brookes (66) and Matthew Waite (63) all recorded half-centuries.
The runs lifted the Pears to just shy of the 400-run mark despite the best efforts of Graeme van Buuren (4-96).
Gloucestershire closed on 59-1 at the end of day three as Singh (5-74) and Waite (3-14) produced devastating spells on the final day to give Worcestershire an unlikely chance of victory.
Bancroft (56) top scored with another half-century but the visitors collapsed from 81-2 to 112-7 as Singh swung the game in the home side’s favour.
Singh removed Boorman (28) and Hammond (0) while Waite trapped James Bracey (0) LBW and took the crucial wicket of Bancroft.
And Singh returned to bowl Jack Taylor (5) and took his second caught and bowled of the match when removing Kristian Clarke (5).
Waite broke through van Buuren’s (32) resistance while Singh claimed his fifth scalp with the wicket of Daaryoush Ahmed (27) for a maiden first-class five-wicket haul.
And Swanepoel (2-37) trapped Will Williams (17) LBW as a stunned Gloucestershire trudged off the field all out for 185.
The Pears lost Lategan (0) for a duck just three balls into their reply as Swanepoel (35) scored at a rate of almost a run a ball to edge the home side closer to victory.
Gloucestershire bowler van Buuren (4-36) removed Libby (5) and Swanepoel while Hose (2) fell cheaply as the Pears stuttered to 57-4 in pursuit of 87 for victory.
Captain D’Oliveira (6) lasted 13 balls at the crease with the Pears on 70-5 before Gareth Roderick (24 not out) and Brookes (11 not out) guided Worcestershire to an unlikely victory in 25.1 overs.
Worcestershire resume their T20 Blast campaign against rivals Warwickshire Bears on Friday, June 26 with play to begin at 7pm at Edgbaston.
