Worcestershire hit back with half-centuries from Moeen Ali and Alexei Kervezee after Chris Taylor had made a valuable 71 for Gloucestershire in the LV= County Championship Division Two match at New Road.

Taylor's innings helped lift his side to 245 all out off 77.4 overs before Moeen and Kervezee hoisted the hosts' reply to 229 for six in 46 overs by the close.

Hard-hitting Kervezee made 57, containing two sixes and eight fours off 58 balls, before falling leg before wicket to Jon Lewis, while Moeen was undefeated with 70 - including 11 fours off 85 deliveries.

They put on 107 runs in 19 overs for the fourth wicket after Taylor had registered his highest Championship score so far this season thanks to one six and eight fours off 104 balls.

After a rain-ruined opening day, Gloucestershire resumed on 78 for three off 29.1 overs and soon began losing wickets, the first two falling to Matt Mason on his first appearance of the season following a back injury.

The 36-year-old paceman firstly had Alex Gidman smartly caught low down by diving wicketkeeper Ben Scott with the same combination quickly following up to remove Hamish Marshall.

After putting on 67 in 17 overs with Taylor, James Franklin edged a slip catch to Mitchell off spinner Ali before Lewis fell to Jack Shantry off the last ball before lunch when Gloucestershire's score stood at 190 for seven off 58 overs.

Taylor, back in action after missing his side's 134-run win over Derbyshire last week due to illness, was unbeaten on 39, a tally he reached despite needing treatment for a stinging blow to his left hand by a rising delivery from Alan Richardson.

Taylor completed his half-century with seven fours off 73 balls before Daryl Mitchell held a splendid slip catch to remove Vikram Banerjee off Moeen, who was then responsible for dropping a slip chance to dismiss Taylor while he was still on 50.

Battling Taylor, however, finally had his middle stump knocked back by Richardson before Shantry accounted for Anthony Ireland to leave each of Worcestershire's five bowlers with two wickets apiece.

Vikram Solanki's men got their innings off to a sound start with Phil Jaques and Mitchell putting on 53 in 12 overs before Mitchell was caught at short leg by Marshall off Ireland.

Solanki survived a dropped slip catch by Steve Snell before getting off the mark, although Snell made up for his lapse shortly after tea when he held on to a smart low chance to remove Jaques Solanki.

Solanki rode his luck again when he was on two, this time escaping a chance to wicketkeeper Jonathan Batty off Steve Kirby. He finally perished for 27 when he was safely snapped up in the gully by Marshall off Lewis, who finished with figures of three for 45.

It was a dismissal which enabled Kervezee and Moeen to take centre stage in a partnership which was followed by the quickfire departures of Ben Smith and Richard Jones.