WORCESTERSHIRE are closing in on victory in their County Championship match with Leicestershire after a chaotic second day of action. 

37 wickets had fallen by the time the game had reached close on the second day, with Worcestershire just three wickets from victory and the hosts still needing 124 runs.

Having been bowled out for 178, Worcestershire were seemingly up against it but a ruthless display at the end of day one meant The Pears started day two needing just two more wickets to wrap up the Leicestershire first innings. 

The visitors started the day 88-8 and Dillon Pennington and Matthew Waite took the remaining wickets of Rehan Ahmed and Callum Parkinson to ensure they had a lead to begin the second innings. 

Jake Libby and Gareth Roderick made a strong start but the latter edged a Chris Wright delivery through to Louis Kimber for 13 to halt the momentum.

But Libby continued to play his shots and the 50-run mark came up in just the eighth over of the innings. 

Libby reached his own fifty off just 51 deliveries as the opener went on the offensive, but the momentum in the game would soon swing once again.

Azhar Ali, Jack Haynes and Adam Hose could only make 22 runs between them to leave Worcestershire 106/4.

Leicestershire's Wiaan Mulder brought Libby's impressive innings to an end and one over later, Wright picked up his fourth wicket when bowling Matthew Waite for just 2. 

Joe Leach soon followed when he was run-out looking to push the score and Josh Baker was caught by Rishi Patel off Matthew Salisbury for 11 as the visitors slipped to 137/8.

Captain Brett D'Oliveira added 17 runs to put Worcestershire 200 ahead before being caught off a Tom Scriven delivery.

Josh Tongue and Pennington did battle away with a 25-run final-wicket stand to set the hosts 238 to win.

The theme of wickets falling at an alarming rate continued to start the Leicestershire innings as Leach made the breakthrough in the first over as Kimber edged one through to Roderick for 0. 

Pennington continued his good form to have Rishi Patel caught by Hose for the second wicket as The Pears closed in on the win.

Baker took a superb catch in the slips as Waite got in on the act to remove Colin Ackermann for 15 and Leicestershire found themselves five wickets down after Tongue took two wickets in three deliveries as Peter Handscomb and Mulder were sent back to the pavilion. 

And just before bad light stopped play, there was time for Pennington to grab two more wickets in one deadly over to leave the Pears on the verge of victory.