WORCESTERSHIRE CCC secured their highest-ever finish in the County Championship since the competition split into two divisions following a draw with relegated Lancashire at New Road in the final game of the season.
The Pears sealed a sixth-place finish in Division One – their highest since the County Championship split into two divisions in 2000.
Worcestershire’s previous best finish saw the Pears place seventh in Division One in 2011.
Worcestershire head coach, Alan Richardson, said: “Extremely proud to be part of it. I know the boys in the changing room have worked extremely hard since we got promoted and before that to try and achieve something like this.
“We know it hasn’t happened very often in our history in terms of we’ve been promoted a lot but we’ve also been relegated a lot.
“It is a small step towards trying to push as far as we can as a group and see where we can get to.
“The talk at the start of the season was about the effort everyone would have to put in and it is incredibly important we work hard as a team and they’ve done that brilliantly well.
“The wickets have been spread far and wide and also for the batters, we’ve contributed all the way down the order, and none more so than in this last game.
“It is an individual sport but played as a team and it’s really important the team work well together.
“I use the word character a lot and we’ve needed that in abundance this year.”
The game also marked the end of Joe Leach’s time with the county as the all-rounder called time on his career having announced his retirement earlier this year.
Leach took 2-37 as the Pears bowled out Lancashire for 177 after scoring 180 all out in their first innings.
And Leach finished on 30 not out in Worcestershire’s second innings in a fitting end to his career as the Pears closed on 223-9 after bad light halted play in the afternoon on the final day.
Leach took a total of 467 first class wickets for the Pears and recieved a standing ovation from the New Road faithful as he came out to bat in the second innings.
His 30 not out included four fours and came off just 25 deliveries.
The Pears finished three points ahead of rivals Warwickshire in the County Championship table.
