THREE wickets in the first nine balls of the third afternoon, including England star Moeen Ali, set Yorkshire on their way to an impressive season-ending Specsavers County Championship win over Worcestershire at New Road.

Yorkshire secured a lead of 88 in the early stages of day three before Worcester reached lunch at 122-3 in their second innings, leading by 34.

Moeen hit a carefree 65, but he was caught and bowled by Steve Patterson three balls into the session for 67 before Ben Coad struck twice in the next over as the hosts slipped to 122-6.

Worcester were later bowled out for 221, setting Yorkshire a target of 134 after tea, which they achieved by seven wickets.

Gary Ballance steered the White Rose to their first maximum 24-point win since May 2016 with 60, helping them secure fourth spot in Division One for the second year running.

Coad finished with 4-56 from 11 overs and Patterson 3-38 from 14.

Yorkshire started day three on 417-9 in their first-innings reply to 340, with Ballance completing a superb 194 off 222 balls - his second highest score in a White Rose shirt.

Ed Barnard had Ballance caught at long-leg having top-edged a tentative pull in the third over of the day (428 all out).

Jack Brooks, Coad and Patterson then all struck at the start of Worcester’s second innings, which slipped to 63-3 in the 13th over.

Brooks had Daryl Mitchell caught behind, Coad had Tom Fell caught at second slip and Patterson forced Joe Clarke to play on following an expansive drive.

But Moeen entertained the crowd in his free-flowing manner, driving on the up and clipping Tim Bresnan’s first ball for six over long-leg on the way to a 55-ball fifty, his second of the match.

However, he fell three balls into the afternoon as he shovelled a return catch back to Patterson, falling for 67 in the 25th over of the innings.

With the first ball of the session, Moeen had also been dropped on 65 by Brooks running back from point following a leading edge.

Wickets continued to fall, including two to Coad in the second over after lunch - now bowling from the New Road End instead of the Diglis End, from where he had operated earlier in the match.

He had Alex Milton caught behind and Barnard caught at third slip by Jack Leaning, the third wicket to fall with the score on 122.

Coad then picked up his fourth of the innings five overs later as Ben Twohig drove him to mid-off before Patterson bowled Ben Cox, leaving Worcester at 158-8, a lead of 170.

Wayne Parnell reached fifty off 47 balls and finished unbeaten on 58, with Patterson getting Josh Tongue and Tim Bresnan bowling Dillon Pennington to wrap up the innings.

The Yorkshire coaching staff and squad members not involved in this match then gave departing Brooks and Andrew Hodd, on the field as sub-fielder, a guard of honour.

The visitors lost Jeet Raval and Adam Lyth (47-2) cheaply early in their chase before Ballance, who hit three successive boundaries off Moeen’s off-spin, shared 77 for the third wicket with Jack Leaning.

Ballance reached 50 off 55 balls before falling to left-arm spinner Ben Twohig, caught at mid-on, with 10 to win. Leaning finished unbeaten on 22.

Meanwhile, Tom Kohler-Cadmore has been called up by England Lions for their red and white ball series against Pakistan A in the UAE in November and December.