Worcestershire all-rounder Joe Leach made a successful return to action after injury with a six-wicket haul on day one of the Vitality County Championship encounter with Kent at Visit Worcestershire New Road. 

Leach finished with 6-52 from 11.5 overs – the second best figures of his career – as Kent were dismissed for 171 in 49.5 overs after being put into bat. 

It was his first appearance since the Championship match against Nottinghamshire in late May because of a recurrence of a knee problem and he is hanging up his spikes at the end of the campaign. B

ut Leach’s determination to return for the finale of the season paid off handsomely once he had settled into his rhythm in his second spell from the New Road End after conceding 26 runs in his first four overs. 

Three wickets in 13 balls undermined Kent’s promising start and they subsided from 73-0 and lost 10 wickets for 98 in 32.4 overs. There was also an encouraging debut for New Zealand paceman James Hartshorn who bowled a nagging line and length. 

But the bowlers were also backed up by some fine catching behind the wicket, most notably by Rob Jones who held onto four chances at second slip. 

Gareth Roderick continued his fine form with a half century to spearhead Worcestershire’s reply and they closed 34 in arrears with eight wickets in hand. 

Worcestershire handed an opportunity to Hartshorn after fellow Kiwi Nathan Smith was forced to cut short his spell at New Road through injury. 

Captain Brett D’Oliveira, Kashif Ali, Leach and Adam Finch all returned after lengthy spells on the side-lines. 

Kent included new signings in pace duo Alfie Ogborne, on loan from Somerset, and West Indian Akeem Jordan. 

D’Oliveira put Kent into bat and Tawanda Muyeye adopted an aggressive vein with a succession of boundaries. But he was fortunate to edge Hartshorn just short of second slip and twice flashed hard at Finch as the ball flew over the slip cordon. 

He completed a 62 ball half century with his 10th boundary but the game turned on its head after Leach switched to the New Road End. Muyeye (56) pushed forward to a delivery which left him and Jones held onto a fine catch away to his left at second slip. 

Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond was undone by a similar ball with Ethan Brookes at third slip making no mistake. Leach had settled into a perfect rhythm and Jack Leaning edged through to keeper Gareth Roderick. 

Worcestershire continued to apply the pressure in the immediate post lunch session with three more quick wickets. Finch, whose first two overs had cost 27 runs, returned and accounted for Joey Evison who drove hard at a ball which nipped away and was caught behind. 

Hartshorn picked up his first wicket for the county as Harry Finch cut a delivery which swung away to Jake Libby at backward point. It became 103-6 when Finch found the inside edge of Ben Compton’s bat and Roderick did the rest for his third catch. 

At that point Kent had lost six wickets for 30 runs in the space of 15.4 overs. There was a deserved first breakthrough for Taylor when Matt Parkinson flashed hard and Jones made no mistake at second slip. 

Leach collected a fourth scalp when Grant Stewart went for a big hit back down the ground and had his off stump knocked back. He polished off the innings in quickfire fashion with Jones holding onto two more sharp opportunities at second slip to dispose of Alfie Ogborne and George Garrett. 

Roderick and Libby then provided Worcestershire with an assured start to their innings and the 50 came up in only 11.1 overs. The partnership was worth 89 when Libby (30) pushed forward to Ogborne and was caught behind. 

New batter Kashif Ali quickly brought up the Worcestershire hundred with a cover drive for four off the same bowler but on 17 he fended a delivery of extra bounce from Jordan to first slip. Roderick completed a 107 ball half century with seven fours.

Worcestershire’s six wicket hero Joe Leach said: “We are in a very good position. We won the toss and bowled this morning and the less said about the first 45 minutes, the better probably. 

“But after that. Credit to us for bowling them out for what we did (171) and the way the batters applied themselves was exceptional. 

“The last 10 overs of the day looked really tricky. It started to look like it might have misbehaved a little bit but the way Gareth (Roderick) and Rob (Jones) got through was really crucial for us and gives us a platform for tomorrow morning. 

“My first spell, it was just full of rust, that first four overs (out since May through injury) and I don’t think I can ever remember bowling quite as badly, certainly in the recent past. 

“But I had a little word with myself, bowled from the other end and it is funny how the game works. 

“Today you get your rewards I suppose for the work you put in over a period of time and very happy with the end figures. An interesting day! 

“The wind was coming over the Marquee so it aided swinging the ball away from the New Road End. Being able to do that, gives you just a bit more margin for error and movement through the air. 

“As the heavy roller wears off, it feels like the pitch is doing just a little bit more as the innings progressed which is probably not typical of what you would expect of a red ball game. 

“I thought the catching was exceptional and I thought also Tom Taylor and James Hartshorn bowled really well. Tommy especially deserved three, four, five wickets and maybe on another day he gets them.”  

Kent Head Coach Matt Walker said: “An interesting pitch. I think it mirrored both innings how it played. 

“Once the heavy roller wore off and the lacquer came off the ball a bit, it started to do plenty. 

“The last hour and a half of the day for us with the ball, there were plenty of chances created. Plenty happening out there. 

“We were a little disappointed we didn’t end up with more wickets. I thought we bowled well enough to create a few dismissals but it wasn’t to be. 

“They played well. The difference was we seemed to find the edge of our bat in that little period when Leach was bowling. 

“We’d have liked a few more runs. The way we started, 73-0, and then that spell of an hour reduced us pretty quickly into a hole. 

“But that last part of the day, I thought we could have at least had them half way out (five wickets down) but it wasn’t be. 

“But we’ve got to back that up tomorrow, there is plenty happening out there, and hopefully we can reduce them to a similar score to what we got.”