WORCESTERSHIRE CCC pushed Somerset all the way before eventually falling to a three-wicket defeat at Taunton in their pre-season warm-up fixture.

Worcestershire posted a target of 171 from their second innings but their opponents eventually reached it with an eventual three-wicket success just before tea.

The morning session started with Somerset on 6-0 from three overs, with Charlie Morris and Joe Leach sharing the attack.

Morris conceded two boundaries to Tom Banton through mid-wicket in his first over of the day but had his revenge in the next when the opener on 12 shouldered arms and lost his off stump.

Ed Barnard maintained the pressure after he replaced Morris and his first three overs were maidens, and he also troubled Byrom with the ball moving across the left-hander.

Adam Finch came on for Leach and was rewarded with his second delivery as Tom Abell (16) was undone by a ball of extra bounce and edged through to keeper Ben Cox.

Goldsworthy went for a pull and top-edged a short Finch delivery over keeper Cox and the slips for a fortuitous boundary but Finch was rewarded later in the same over when Goldsworthy (16) bottom edged through to Cox with the total 53-3 in the 21st over.

Finch made way for Daryl Mitchell after a five-over spell as Somerset reached 80-3 off 31 overs by lunch.

Barnard and Leach came back into the attack, and the latter had Will Smeed (25) caught behind in his first over after the resumption.

There was a deserved first breakthrough for Barnard when Byrom (17) was bowled behind his legs at 97-5.

Brett D’Oliveira then produced a superb diving catch running back from mid-off after Lewis Gregory (16) tried to loft Leach over the top.

New batsman Sam Young survived a chance before he had scored off Barnard with the total 107-6.

Roelof van der Merwe and Young (15) put together a stand of 54 before the latter holed out to D’Oliveira at mid-wicket off Barnard.

Van der Merwe went onto make an unbeaten half-century as the game ended shortly before tea.