WORCESTERSHIRE hit back with the ball after being dismissed for 163 by Glamorgan on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship clash with Glamorgan at New Road.

Joe Leach (43) and Ross Whiteley (40) spearheaded a partial recovery after the hosts had been reduced to 37-5 in overcast conditions helpful for bowling.

Then Leach, Charlie Morris and Jack Shantry enjoyed some success when Glamorgan launched their reply and reduced the Welsh side to 118-5 in the Division Two match.

Glamorgan exercised the option to bowl first and Lukas Carey, after an impressive debut in the last match at Swansea, got into the act again when Brett D’Oliveira (4), who had recovered from a dislocated finger, was bowled without playing a shot.

Graham Wagg found skipper Daryl Mitchell’s outside edge when on nine for the first of five catches by Mark Wallace.

Tom Fell (16) was an exception when driving Michael Hogan’s fifth delivery to cover.

But the wicketkeeper was involved in the dismissals of Tom Kohler-Cadmore (0), a second victim for Hogan, and Joe Clarke (4), who departed in Craig Meschede’s second over.

Whiteley and Ben Cox then came together and ensured there were no more dismissals before lunch.

Three overs into the afternoon session, Cox (16) departed to a good low catch by Aneurin Donald at first slip off Wagg.

Vice-captain Leach adopted an aggressive approach in striking seven fours as his first 35 runs came off 32 balls.

The seventh wicket pair added 66 in 14.4 overs before Whiteley, on 40 from 91 balls with a six and six fours, fell to Meschede at 140-7 when he was caught at wide mid-on.

Two balls later, Ed Barnard (0) was caught behind off Hogan.

Leach was eventually dismissed by Hogan, driving to mid-on, and then Carey wrapped up the innings by accounting for Shantry (4).

The sun came out for the start of Glamorgan's reply but Leach struck with his second delivery when bowling Nick Selman for a duck.

Morris disposed of Jacques Rudolph (11) and David Lloyd (8) was undone by Shantry, who returned to the side in place of the departed Kyle Abbott.

Leach enjoyed a second breakthrough, his 42nd wicket of the campaign, when he bowled Aneurin Donald (8).

Will Bragg (75 not out) held up Worcestershire with a half-century but the bowlers continued to chip away and Barnard got rid of Meschede for nought.