| 1dLancashire new ball duo Jimmy Anderson and Graham Onions inflicted more misery on Worcestershire who were bowled out for 98 on a rain-hit opening day in the Specsavers County Championship match at Blackfinch New Road.
Anderson and Onions were the destroyer in chiefs last month in reducing Worcestershire to 38-7 on the opening day of the match at Emirates Old Trafford which Lancashire won by six wickets.
It was the same story today as Anderson (14.1-5-24-4) and Onions (14-1-55-4) were largely responsible for the home side being skittled out in just 38.1 overs with some top-class bowling.
Saqib Mahmood (8-4-8-2) ensured there was no let-up in the current Division Two leaders’ dominance of proceedings after they had opted to bowl under leaden skies.
Ed Barnard, who was promoted to number six, offered some resistance with a defiant 32 as Worcestershire were dismissed for the second lowest total in the Championship this summer.
Only Nottinghamshire, with 97 against Warwickshire at Edgbaston last week, had been bowled out for a lower total during 2019.
Worcestershire had rejigged their batting line-up, with Tom Fell and George Rhodes left out of the side and Josh Dell brought back to open the innings.
But they were unable to combat England star Anderson and Onions before the heavens opened shortly after the players left the field shortly after 2.30pm.
Lancashire unsurprisingly opted to bowl and Onions and Anderson were soon amongst the wickets on the same pitch used for yesterday’s ODI women’s international between England and the West Indies.
Onions was first to strike when opener Daryl Mitchell nicked an away swinger through to wicketkeeper and skipper Dane Vilas, and then Callum Ferguson was trapped lbw by the former England paceman.
Riki Wessels also went leg before to Anderson, and it became 24-4 when Ross Whiteley tried to work the same bowler through mid wicket and was caught off a leading edge by Haseeb Hameed at cover point.
Dell, who hit 61 on his Championship debut versus Durham, battled away to make 18 in 18 overs in the opening role but shouldered arms to Mahmood and was bowled.
Barnard brought up the Worcestershire fifty with a cover drive for four off Onions in the 20th over but it became 57-6 when red ball vice-captain Ben Cox went for a drive and was caught behind off Mahmood.
The procession of wickets continued in the afternoon session.
Fit-again Wayne Parnell was bowled in trying to drive Onions, while club captain Joe Leach suffered the same fate in attempting to work the ball to the onside.
Anderson wrapped up proceedings as Charlie Morris and Barnard were both safely pouched by Vilas, the latter after attempting a ramp shot.
There was no chance for Lancashire to launch their reply, however, as rain intervened and play called off for the day at 4.35pm.
