Worcestershire stepped up their victory bid after Moeen Ali completed a fine century in the LV= County Championship Division Two match against Gloucestershire at New Road.

The 22-year-old's 106 helped his side, who resumed on 229 for six in reply to the visitors' 245, to score 388 off 82.1 overs, a lead of 143.

At stumps Gloucestershire were 46 ahead with five second-innings wickets left following a battling 50 from Hamish Marshall.

England Lions player Moeen, unbeaten on 70 overnight, survived a loud appeal for a catch behind off the first ball of the day before progressing to the fourth first-class century of his career and his second in the Championship this season.

Facing a Gloucestershire attack without Steve Kirby, who is suffering from a back spasm which forced him to leave the field in mid-over while bowling on Sunday, Moeen was finally well caught by Chris Dent at short mid-wicket off spinner Vikram Banerjee.

He notched 16 fours off 144 balls and put on 96 in 25 overs with Ben Scott who, having resumed on nought, made 67 before being comprehensively bowled by Anthony Ireland.

It was his second half-century in successive Championship games and contained 10 fours off 97 deliveries.

Last man Matt Mason, in his first innings of the season following a return to action after a niggling back injury, chipped in with a useful 27, containing three sixes and one four off 18 balls, before becoming part of Jon Lewis' well earned four for 55 haul.

Gloucestershire, with paceman Kirby facing a scan on his injured back, made an uncertain start to their second knock with Steve Snell soon departing for his second single-figure score of the match when he was held at second slip by Daryl Mitchell off Mason.

Snell's opening partner Jonathan Batty also had an early alarm when he survived a sharp slip chance to Ben Smith against Richard Jones.

Dent then became a victim for seamer Jack Shantry before tea when Gloucestershire's score stood at 74 for two.

After the interval Batty looked destined for a half-century until he fell seven runs short to a good diving slip catch by Mitchell off Alan Richardson with the visitors still 43 in arrears.

Marshall registered his half ton off 67 balls with five fours, but was unable to push on past the 50 mark when he edged Richardson to Smith leaving Gloucestershire on 138 for four. By the time skipper Alex Gidman was removed by Shantry, they had only just wiped out the deficit.