JOE Clarke confirmed his standing as one of the game's most exiting young players with a century on the second day of Worcestershire's Specsavers County Championship game against Gloucestershire at the Brightside Ground, Bristol.

The 19-year-old England Lions batsman outshone his elders as Worcestershire finished the day trailing their hosts by 83 runs with five wickets in hand.

Having resumed on their impressive overnight total of 336-5, Gloucestershire lost their way in the morning session as Worcestershire clawed their way back into the contest.

The downward spiral began as early as the first over when Kieran Noema-Barnett perished to the third ball of the day, without adding to his overnight score.

Thereafter, it was something of a batting capitulation, for Gloucestershire, as Jack Shantry and Matt Henry bowled with real purpose on a wicket that certainly provided the seamers with genuine encouragement. Jack Taylor, Liam Norwell, day one centurion Hamish Marshall and David Payne all followed Noema-Barnett back to the pavilion as Gloucestershire lost their remaining wickets for just 44 runs. Shantry was the pick of the Worcestershire bowlers with 4-89 while Henry weighed in with figures of 3-89.

In reply to Gloucestershire's 380 all out, Worcestershire lost opener Daryl Mitchell to the first ball of the innings, lbw to Payne. However, they recovered their poise in the 40 minutes before lunch, courtesy of Moeen Ali and Brett D'Oliveira. Both batsmen played with due care and attention as the visitors reached 40-1 at the interval.

If the morning session belonged to Worcestershire, the two hours between lunch and tea were very much Gloucestershire's as Worcestershire slumped from 120-1 to 131-4 inside four overs.

Ali and D'Oliveira, who were both dropped, added 120 for the second wicket before the former was caught behind by Gareth Roderick off the bowling off on-loan seamer Josh Shaw.

The England batsman struck 10 boundaries in reaching his half century, off 85 balls, but was eventually picked up behind the wicket when attempting to cut Shaw through square.

Noema-Barnett trapped D'Oliveira lbw at 128-3, in the 32nd over, and shortly after, Tom Kohler-Cadmore was bowled by the impressive Shaw, from the Pavilion End.

After tea, the game swung back in Worcestershire's favour, courtesy of an impressive innings from the teenager Clarke.

Having pushed his way to 37 not out at the team break, the Shrewsbury-born batsman passed 50 off 53 balls and joined forces with Ben Cox to frustrate Gloucestershire's tiring attack.

Gloucestershire turned to Jack Taylor with 19 overs of the day remaining, but Clarke and Cox were equally adept against the off-spinner.

The pair posted their 100 partnership, inside 25 overs, with Cox reaching 50 with his ninth four and Clarke helping himself to a second Championship century and a second first class hundred this season, off 124 deliveries with 13 fours.