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An inspired Ben Allison three wicket haul helped Worcestershire into the box seat against Gloucestershire on the opening day of Rothesay County Championship action at Cheltenham, before the Pears saw their progress cut short by rain. The Worcestershire seamer returned exceptional figures of 3-15 from 14 overs, including a double wicket maiden, to drive his side into the box seat early on the first morning. Allison kickstarted proceedings with the wicket of Cameron Bancroft early on, before removing Miles Hammond and James Bracey in the space of three balls as a cohesive and disciplined Worcestershire bowling attack took control of the match. Matthew Waite (2-25) provided an apt supporting role with a typically economic performance, before the visitors saw their progress curtailed by a torrential downpour that ended the day’s play with Gloucestershire 107-5 and on the back foot. After a two-month absence from red ball cricket, Worcestershire returned to Rothesay County Championship action on Thursday with a trip to face Gloucestershire in a crucial Division Two clash. In the picturesque setting of Cheltenham College, the Pears made an equally ideal start to proceedings as Ben Allison removed Gloucestershire skipper Cameron Bancroft in the fourth over of the morning, moments after seeing Joe Phillips dropped at third slip. The Pears had to endure some personnel change early on in the day, when wicket keeper Gareth Roderick left the field after suffering a reoccurrence of the back injury that had seen him miss the back end of the Metro Bank One Day Cup tournament, with Henry Cullen taking the gloves and Rehaan Edavalath coming into the side as an official replacement. It was Allison who catapulted the Pears into the ascendancy after a dominant opening hour, with his exceptional spell seeing him return figures of 9-7-5-3 helping Worcestershire tear through their opponents, to leave them 28-4. Matthew Waite triggered the collapse, castling Phillips for nine with a nip backer that clattered into middle stump, after his back of a length ball shot between the right hander’s bat and pad. It was then Allison who roared into life with a double-wicket maiden in the 14th over of the morning that tightened the Pears’ grip on proceedings. Miles Hammond was the first victim, edging behind to Adam Hose at second slip after Allison produced a gem of a delivery that proved too good for the left hander. Two balls later and it was the prize wicket of James Bracey who fell for a second ball duck, this time snared by Jake Libby in the cordon as the visitors took full control. The away side saw their momentum halted by a stubborn fourth wicket stand, as Fateh Singh entered the attack on the stroke of lunch and the spinner continued the line of questioning. 55-4 at the resumption after lunch, Allison returned as the Pears looked to make a fifth breakthrough of the day, but a plucky stand between Tommy Boorman and Ollie Price added 75 as Gloucestershire started to fightback. The skies darkened over Cheltenham, but before the heavens opened, there was time for another Worcestershire breakthrough courtesy of the effervescent Waite. Returning for a second spell of the day, the all-rounder speared one through the gate and ripped out Price’s middle stump for a resilient 117-ball-31. With the home side teetering at 103-5, Brett D’Oliveira’s side were eager to kick on and make some more inroads, but the weather gods had other ideas. A torrential downpour midway through the afternoon ended any hopes of play resuming on the opening day, with stumps called shortly after 3pm with Worcestershire on top and the hosts 107-5.