Glamorgan reached 200/7 at the close of a rain-affected third day at New Road after following-on against Worcestershire, still trailing the home side by 28 runs.
But such fanciful were expunged during the morning's play at New Road where a low cloud base at the picturesque ground brought early drizzle and temperatures more akin to the autumnal months rather than mid-summer. Indeed, given the rugby-like weather, it was understandable that the thoughts of many were about events thousands of miles away in Brisbane, but by the time the British and Irish Lions kicked off at 11am, the rains had eased allowing play to start on time with Jack Shantry and Alan Richardson resuming the bowling to Allenby and Wallace.
Allenby struck the day's first boundary as he cut the last ball of Shantry's opening over to the cover boundary before edging to second slip where Daryl Mitchell could not quite grasp onto the ball as he dived to his right. Wallace opened his account by also twice despatching short balls from Shantry to the extra cover boundary, before Allenby unfurled another glorious cover drive against Richardson. But after four overs the rains returned and sent the players and umpires scurrying back to the pavilion for 24 minutes.
When play resumed, Joe Leach replaced Shantry at the New Road End and found the edge of Wallace's bat, but the ball dropped short of Mitchell at slip. Richardson continued at the Diglis End and was despatched through backward point by the assertive Allenby. Next over, Wallace did the same to Leach as Glamorgan secured their first batting point as the total went past 200.
Leach though made the breakthrough as in the 63rd over he trapped Allenby l.b.w. and next over Cosker departed in identical fashion to Richardson, before 217/7 became 222/8 as Owen became the third man to depart leg before as Leach struck again. Michael Hogan responded by driving freely, twice despatching Chris Russell for four through the covers besides pulling Leach to mid-wicket as Glamorgan secured another batting point.
Hogan celebrated by drilling Moeen straight for six, but next over Shantry returned to have Wallace caught behind as Glamorgan slipped further to 268/9. Mike Reed, as befits a maths graduate, then made a perfect bisection of first and second slip as the ball sped away to the third man boundary, but Hogan was not so fortunate as to the last ball of the over he edged Shantry to Mitchell at first slip who then enforced the follow-on.
Wright then clipped two balls from Russell to the vacant third man boundary before Stewart Walters glanced Jack Shantry to the ropes at mid-wicket. It proved though to be his sole boundary, as after a short stoppage for a passing shower, Walters became another l.b.w. victim as Richardson struck again with Glamorgan on 31/2.
With Marcus North as his new partner, Wright unfurled a trio of exquisite cover drives against Shantry before ruining the hitherto parsimonious figures of Richardson by guiding him to third man for four. But with the score on 66, North miscued a stroke against Moeen and spooned a catch to Thilan Samaraweera at short mid-wicket. Wright then completed his defiant fifty from 86 balls. But in the 28th over it started to rain again, forcing an early tea.
The batsman celebrated his good fortune by despatching successive balls from Shantry for four through the off-side, but the bowler nearly claimed another scalp when a clip by Mark Wallace just evaded the grasp of the fielder at mid-wicket. But Shantry struck with his next delivery as Wallace was adjudged leg before as Glamorgan slipped further to 109/6.
Dean Cosker announced his arrival at the crease by on-driving Leach for four, before the bowler found the edge of Allenby's bat with the ball just evading the gloves of wicket-keeper Ben Cox. With the total on 129, Shantry gained his fourth wicket as Cosker miscued a drive with Alexei Kervezee taking the catch at short extra cover.
Will Owen then gave support to Allenby as the light started to deteriorate, but the latter was still able to clip Leach to square-leg for four. Moeen returned to the attack as Worcestershire tried to finish things off in the murky conditions with spin but Owen responded by striking the off-spinner to the ropes at long-off, cover and long-on in successive balls. Allenby also on-drove the off-spinner for four before bringing up the fifty stand by pulling Russell for six as he completed a 65-ball half century.
The late runs continued as in the penultimate over of the day, the defiant Owen steered Shantry for two more fours to cover point and third man, before bad light ended play with five balls remaining.