WORCESTERSHIRE captain Daryl Mitchell scored his first Specsavers County Championship hundred for 13 months on a drastically-curtailed third day against Northamptonshire at New Road.
The 32-year-old went to his century off 164 balls with 16 boundaries to end a lean run of form.
Now Mitchell, who is in his benefit year with the County, needs only another 28 runs to complete 10,000 in his career in first-class cricket.
It was his first three-figure score since a double hundred against Hampshire at New Road in July 2015.
Only 17.2 overs were possible in the day as the County added 42 runs for the loss of two wickets in reaching 195-3, still 356 in arrears.
With leaders Essex winning against Leicestershire at Grace Road, the hosts have to win to retain their slim hopes of promotion from Division Two.
The County resumed on 153-1 from 40 overs but added only seven more runs before Ben Sanderson accounted for Tom Fell (66), who was caught behind.
The stand with Mitchell had been worth 152 in 42 overs.
Mitchell, who had been on 86 overnight, reached three figures with an edge for four through the slips off Sanderson.
Play was halted after 12.3 overs and there was then a four-hour delay before the players returned for two brief interludes.
In the first, Joe Clarke (6) played a loose shot at the previous day's debutant century-maker Chad Barrett and was caught by Ben Duckett at first slip.
When umpires Steve Gale and Graham Lloyd called off play for the day at 5.35pm, Mitchell was unbeaten on 102.
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