WORCESTERSHIRE head coach Alex Gidman admits his side “did not cope” with early pressure from Durham in their LV=Insurance County Championship defeat last week.

Thursday saw Worcestershire bowled out for 131 and after the visitors posted 381 in response, Gidman said it was a mountain too tough to climb.

“That first day was a bit of a shock, a bit of a blur. We obviously didn’t apply ourselves as much as we needed to and we were well behind the game early on.

“It was always going to be tough to have a chance of winning the game once you have a first hour, first session like we did.

“Credit to Durham, they bowled aggressively and put the ball in the right areas from ball one. They put us under pressure and we didn’t quite have it in us to cope with that pressure early in the game.”

Despite defeat, Gidman said he was impressed at the way his side continued to try and salvage a result from the game.

“It has been a tough fixture and from lunch-time yesterday we started to show the sort of team we’ve been through much of this season so far.

“Sadly it was too late in this one but I’m really pleased with the way the guys tried to fight to stay in the game and make a good go of it.

“We were too short in the end but can’t complain about the cricket since lunch-time on Friday.”

Jake Libby continued his fine form this season with the bat and made another century (126) in Worcestershire’s second innings.

On the Saturday, the county started on 99/3 and Libby and Brett D’Oliveira went on to 106 run partnership as they made a fist of giving Durham something to chase.

They could only manage 336, a lead of 87 and Durham’s openers Cameron Bancroft and Michael Jones made light work of that.

“We batted really well on the last day and Jake Libby was superb and had a great partnership with Brett D’Oliveira,” said Gidman.

“I can’t knock the way the guys tried to give us a chance to win the game towards the end but, with the margin as big as it was after the first innings, it was always going to be a tough ask.”

The defeat brings an end to any possibility of the Pears securing a top two finish in Group One of the LV=Insurance County Championship, having lost two of their last three matches.

They now break for over a month for the Vitality Blast tournament and the Worcestershire Rapids begin their campaign at New Road tomorrow against Nottinghamshire Outlaws.