Weston and Bichel earn Worcestershire the honours in Bristol

Philip Weston's application and Andy Bichel's stroke-play ensured Worcestershire had the better of the opening day at Bristol.

After winning the toss the visitors closed on 298-6, with Bichel unbeaten on 71, having lifted the scoring rate by making his runs off just 90 balls, with 11 fours and a six.

Until the Australian's arrival, it had been a day of steady accumulation for Worcestershire on an easy-paced pitch, which offered little encouragement to Gloucestershire's bowlers.

James Averis bowled a good ten-over spell of 2-27 with the new ball, removing Anurag Singh and Graeme Hick, who was caught behind down the leg-side after his one scoring shot had brought a boundary to third-man.

Weston dug in to compile his best Championship score for two years, sharing stands of 55 with Vikram Solanki (30) and 103 with David Leatherdale, who contributed 45.

The left-handed opener had made 83 off 249 balls, with 10 fours and a straight six off Jeremy Snape, when the drive which had brought most of his boundaries let him down and offered a slip catch off Jon Lewis, with the total on 209.

Kadeer Ali fell cheaply having laboured for more than an hour for his four runs. But Bichel provided the most fluent batting of the day in the final session, with Steve Rhodes content to play a supporting role in an unbroken stand of 46.

Gloucestershire stuck to their task, with lanky seamer Mike Cawdron returning the miserly figures of 1-39 from his 24 overs.