WORCESTERSHIRE head coach Kevin Sharp felt his side “did little wrong” after suffering a four-wicket setback against Lancashire in a Specsavers County Championship Division One thriller at Southport.

An unbeaten century from skipper Dane Vilas enabled Lancashire to recover from 63-4 to chase down a 314 target and send Worcestershire back down to the bottom of the table inside three days.

Sharp said: “I don’t think we’ve done much wrong. The pitch got a bit better to bat on without any shadow of a doubt.

“It’s been more placid than on the first two days. It was a bit tacky on the first day and gripped and nipped a bit and there was a touch of dampness in it.

"But as it has dried out it has played differently than we anticipated as we thought it might spin towards the end but it has held together very well.

“Yes, you could argue we probably did not execute with the ball quite as well as we did the previous week at Scarborough but that’s the game. You won’t always do it like that.

“You can always argue that we could have done things better in all departments – batting, bowling or fielding.

“But I’ve just said to the boys that their efforts have been outstanding and I thought we might win this.”

Sharp continued: “I have to say that innings by Vilas was class, a match-winning innings. He has been supported by two or three other players and all credit to them.

“In the end, when you get a couple of partnerships like that, you probably deserve to win. I don’t really feel we can fault our lads too much.

“When you’ve been in the game a while, you never take anything for granted. Things happen in cricket, sometimes things happen from nowhere and the game changes.

“The ball dropped into the gaps a couple of times when it went up into the air and on another day it goes to hand but credit to them.

“We will get on the bus, have a couple of days off, will practice on Monday and be ready for Hampshire on Tuesday.”

Worcestershire have a game in hand on Lancashire though and are only nine points behind them ahead of Hampshire visiting Blackfinch New Road.

Meanwhile, England's Moeen Ali says he reaped the benefits of a spell back with Worcestershire after making a strong return to Test cricket.

The all-rounder followed up his crucial 40 in the first innings by taking 5-63 on day two of the fourth Test with India at Southampton's Ageas Bowl.

It has been Moeen’s first Test for five months after a challenging winter in the Ashes series and against New Zealand.

He said: “I actually loved being back at Worcestershire and having a good stint there and just getting the form back with the bat and the ball.

“I’ve really enjoyed going back to county cricket and having a bit of a break and it’s always nice to get a call-up when you are in decent nick with the bat and the ball.

“It’s doing what county cricket should be doing, having that confidence to come back into the Test side and perform.

“It’s more believing that you are not a bad player after one bad winter. Many players have gone through that and for me it was just moving on and hopefully it (the experience) makes you a better player, a stronger character.

“I moved on pretty early from that and it’s about going out there and performing for my country knowing that I can do well in England.

“I’ve done it before and it was a bad winter and these things can happen to anyone and I just shrugged it off.

“I went to Worcestershire and cleared my mind to try to get better and that’s exactly what I feel I’ve been doing.”