WORCESTERSHIRE wasted a snapshot from Moeen Ali’s repertoire and a first half-century by 19-year-old Joe Clarke in LV= County Championship Division One against Warwickshire.

From 104-1 starting the last over of the morning at New Road, Steve Rhodes' side embarked on an error-strewn path to 243 all out.

But Warwickshire quickly ran into troubles of their own, initially wobbling at 35-4 until Ian Bell (46 not out) and Tim Ambrose (31no) saw them to 101-4.

Losing nine wickets for 139 was not a good sign as Worcestershire look to end a run of seven consecutive Championship defeats to their local rivals since 2009.

Most of the top-order dismissals were down to batting lapses under constant sniping by the visitors' seamers.

Chris Wright claimed his 300th first-class wicket, Keith Barker took 4-65 and Boyd Rankin broke up a spiky partnership of 53 in nine overs by Clarke and Joe Leach.

County director of cricket Rhodes said: “It was looking good at lunchtime but obviously we would have liked to get more runs on the board.

"We were happy to get four wickets later and hopefully we can make some more inroads. It didn’t look a 14-wickets pitch at the start and I don’t think it was. There has been some batting that has been a little bit sloppy.”

County captain Daryl Mitchell won the toss and batted first on a dry pitch.

Other than the loss of Richard Oliver, who looked unhappy to be given out caught behind for 27, it was a largely trouble-free session.

Mitchell was efficient and Moeen, having got off the mark with a four from his eighth ball, effortlessly pinged three more boundaries in an over from Wright.

With their partnership up to 66, Mitchell (36) drove loosely at Wright and picked out mid-wicket on the brink of lunch and Worcestershire were never quite the same after that.

Tom Fell (4) played on when trying to abort a defensive shot, Alex Gidman (4) brushed a leg-side catch behind the wicket and Moeen (45) repeated the manner of Mitchell’s dismissal.

But the youngest player restored some order as England under 19 international Clarke demonstrated his potential with nine fours in reaching 50 from 58 balls on his home Championship debut.

Leach (22) backed him up to good effect until both players fell when taking on short deliveries from Rankin.

The lower order briefly made headway through Jack Shantry (17) and Saeed Ajmal (10) before Barker polished off the last two wickets in successive overs.

Warwickshire made a nervy start with Areq Javid (9) quickly lbw to Leach and Varun Chopra (9) went the same way for the first of three wickets in nine balls.

Jonathan Trott edged to first slip for a duck off Jack Shantry and Oliver, at mid-wicket, dived to hold Laurie Evans’ drive off Leach for one.