JACKSON Bird took three wickets in his first four overs before Worcestershire captain Daryl Mitchell continued his formidable record against Hampshire.

Bird reduced the home side to 25-3, but Mitchell vindicated his decision to bat first by making an unbeaten 105 (237 balls, 15 fours) as Worcestershire closed a rain-affected first day on 228-5.

Since 2011, Mitchell has made an aggregate of 706, at an average of 117 in ten Championship innings against Hampshire.

Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein said: “We can learn from that innings, it’s the sort of knock we’re dying for at the moment. At 25-3 we had a real opportunity.

“There was enough in the wicket, but we got a little excited and the runs got away from us.

“We pulled it back towards the end.”

Mitchell shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 142 with teenager Joe Clarke after losing three wickets in 12 balls from Bird, who had 3-21 from his first four overs.

Clarke, who is playing his fifth Championship match, made a new personal best score of 70 (136 balls).

However, for an hour or two, conditions helped the seamers.

From his high action, Bird got the ball to dart around with some bounce, although it was a delivery of fuller length that accounted for Richard Oliver in the third over. In a comedown from a match-winning, unbeaten T20 half-century on Sunday, the left hander was leg-before for three.

In his next two overs, Bird had Tom Fell fencing a low chance to wicketkeeper Adam Wheater and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, taking his bat away from a ball which cut back to take the off stump.

But Worcestershire wriggled clear of trouble as Mitchell rode his luck in a testing examination by Bird and Gareth Berg.

Mitchell struck ten fours in a brisk 50, before adding only four boundaries in completing his century from 213 balls.

Clarke nudged a catch to short-leg off Danny Briggs after hitting ten fours, but the mixture of youth and experience continued with Brett D’Oliveira making 19 out of 49, before he was taken at second slip, off the lively Brad Wheal.

Hampshire bowling: Bird 20-1-77-3, Berg 17-3-42-0, Vince 4-0-15-0, Wheal 15-2-50-1, Briggs 20-8-30-1, Gatting 3-1-7-0.