THORNBURY'S Chris Dent hit his second Specsavers County Championship century of the season before Gloucestershire’s rain-affected match with Worcestershire at Cheltenham ended in a draw.

The left-handed opener finished unbeaten 135 as his side ran up 286 for four declared in their second innings from an overnight 62 for one. Gareth Roderick contributed 81.

That set Worcestershire 370 to win in a minimum of 51 overs. They were soon in a deep hole as David Payne struck twice in his opening two overs and Liam Norwell also grabbed an early wicket to make it 5 for 3.

But Joe Clarke came to the rescue with a quality innings of 93 not out and the players shook hands with the visitors’ total on 155 for five, nine more overs being available. Gloucestershire took 12 points and Worcestershire 11.

Dent’s innings took his aggregate of runs in Championship cricket this summer to 736 at a healthy average of 52.57.

Unbeaten on 11 overnight in a total of 62 for one, he was content to build steadily with partner Will Tavare as any suggestion of a contrived finish following a third day decimated by rain was dispelled.

Gloucestershire had progressed to 90 when Tavare fell lbw to Ed Barnard, pushing forward. That brought in Roderick, who gave solid support as Dent moved to his half-century off 143 balls, with 8 fours.

At one point Worcestershire seamer John Hastings was bowling to six slips as the visitors perhaps made their feelings clear about the scoring rate.

Skipper Joe Leach brought on spinners Brett D’Oliveira and George Rhodes, which quickly saw the batsmen up the tempo. A succession of boundaries as lunch approached saw Gloucestershire to 188 for two at the interval, with Dent on 90.

He reached his hundred with a swept four off Rhodes, having made his second fifty off just 43 deliveries. Soon Roderick was raising his bat for a half-century, having faced 77 balls and hit 5 fours.

Both hit sixes as Rhodes went for 21 off an over. They had added 189 in 29.4 overs when Roderick was bowled aiming to launch Josh Tongue back over his head.

When Graeme van Buuren fell to Daryl Mitchell first ball, Gloucestershire skipper Phil Mustard called a halt to the innings, with Dent having faced 203 deliveries and extended his boundary count to 15 fours and 3 sixes.

Worcestershire immediately plunged into trouble as Payne removed D’Oliveira and Tom Fell for ducks, both lbw to balls from the left-arm seamer that nipped back.

Liam Norwell weighed in with the key wicket of Mitchell, who was bowled for five, and the scoreboard read 5 for 3 in the sixth over.

Clarke and Rhodes took the total to 47 for three at tea, but when Norwell bowled Rhodes for nine shouldering arms soon after the break Gloucestershire still cherished hopes on an unlikely victory.

That remained the case when first innings centurion Ben Cox fell lbw to Kieran Noema-Barnett, playing no shot, for 21, with the total on 110, shortly after Clarke had reached an impressive 49-ball half-century.

But Clarke never looked in any trouble and by stumps he had faced 95 balls, striking 15 fours.