Gloucestershire 231 (T Price 109, Leach 4-49) and 172 for 3 (Dent 66*, Bracey 51) lead Worcestershire 157 (Dale 6-41, T Price 4-58) by 246 runs

Dale bowled with considerable pace to picked up the final three Worcestershire wickets on the third morning to finish with 6 for 41 from 17.1 overs as Gloucestershire established a first-innings lead of 74.

It was his first ever five-for in first class cricket and then Dent fought his way through a testing time with the new ball before he and Bracey cemented Gloucestershire’s position of strength and extended their advantage to 220 before bad light intervened.

For Worcestershire, there was the encouragement of Josh Tongue working up a good head of pace which brought him three wickets. But they can still expect to face a daunting target on the final day in what are still bowler-friendly conditions.

After the wash-out of the second day, mobile heating apparatus was needed to dry out the bowlers run-ups at both ends before play was able to get underway at 12 noon with a minimum of 88 overs remaining.

Seventeen wickets had fallen on the first day to a mixture of fine seam bowling and poor shot selection. Worcestershire resumed on 118 for 7 under cloudy skies and Dale polished off the innings after a morning spell of 7.1-2-18-3.

He made his senior debut for Hampshire in 2020, playing two Championship games, before moving to Gloucestershire at the end of 2021 season.

Dale made eight Championship appearances last summer and signed a two-year contract extension in January until the end of the 2025 campaign.

He did not take a wicket in the opening game of the campaign against Glamorgan but was a constant threat to the Worcestershire batters.

Matthew Waite, a century-maker in the opening game against Derbyshire, added only seven to his overnight 44 before he pushed at a delivery and edged to second slip.

Tongue survived 52 balls for 11 before he lost his leg stump to Dale to complete his first five-for in first class cricket. Dale then wrapped up proceedings when Dillon Pennington drove at a delivery and gave keeper James Bracey his fifth catch of the innings.

Price finished with 4 for 58 from 16 overs to add to his maiden first class century on day one.

When Gloucestershire batted, Dent had a let off on six when Ed Pollock failed to hold onto a head high chance at first slip off Joe Leach.

Dent and Marcus Harris were given a searching examination against the new ball and there was much playing and missing but they fought their way through to raise the half-century stand in 18 overs.

Tongue bowled an impressive initial spell and eventually made a breakthrough when Harris (26) deliberately tried to uppercut over the slips and was caught behind.

There continued to be enough in the pitch to encourage the bowlers.

But Dent began to grow in authority and confidence and greeted Brett D’Oliveira’s introduction into the attack with a straight six.

He completed a 106 ball half century, his second of the season after his 78 versus Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens.

Tongue returned to have Bracey, 51, caught behind and, after a short break for bad light, accounted for Miles Hammond who attempted a pull but lobbed a catch to mid on.