A stand of 223 in 56 overs between Vikram Solanki and Moeen Ali would appear to have upset Surrey's hopes, which looked pretty realistic at lunch time yesterday, of skittling Worcestershire out for considerably less than the 344 they need to avoid being asked to follow-on. Having lost their openers before scoring a run, the visitors were indebted to their skipper and his 22-year-old apprentice, who set a new record for Worcestershire's third wicket against Surrey, beating Solanki and Ben Smith's 165-run collaboration at Worcester three years ago.

Solanki and Ali came together in the fourth over of the visitors' reply, after the loss of Daryl Mitchell, trapped on the crease fifth ball, and Phil Jaques, caught behind low and to the right of Steven Davies.

The expectation had been that the spinners would dominate on a dry and dusting pitch, but Solanki, in particular, afforded them little respect. The Worcestershire skipper slog swept Gareth Batty's second ball for six and swept the next delivery to the rope at deep square leg for four.

Ali found his feet against the bowling of Jade Dernbach, off whom he struck two off-side boundaries in the 18th over and fours off two successive deliveries in the 24th. Solanki was also quick to throw Chris Schofield off his stride, which he succeeded in doing by launching him into the sightscreen at the Nottingham Road End for a maximum in the 28th over.

Shortly after bringing up his half-century off 80 balls, Solanki slog swept Batty for another six, this time into the main scoreboard, which was soon to record Ali's fifty, which encompassed 88 deliveries.

At tea the visitors were 131-2 off 41 overs, which put a very different complexion on proceedings than their 9-2 at lunch. In the fifth over following the break Ali was down the wicket to Schofield, whom he picked up over long-on for his first maximum.

In the 52nd over Solanki launched Schofield straight down the ground for six on his way to 153-ball hundred, which arrived in the very next over, shortly after slog sweeping Batty past Dernbach's outstretched right hand at deep mid-wicket. Ali's second six, like his first, was off Schofield, except this one was directed over long-off and came off the leg spinner's third no-ball.

The third wicket pair were eventually parted in the 60th over, when Andre Nel broke through Solanki's defences to leave his leg stump leaning at a jaunty angle. The Worcestershire skipper's 27th first-class hundred came in 174 deliveries, took 212 minutes and included four sixes and 14 fours.

In the next over, Ali progressed to his third century in first-class cricket, which came off 180 balls. The left-hander was still there at the close with an unbeaten 122 to his name.

Earlier in the day, Surrey added 78 to their overnight total. Schofield drove the first ball he received low to Ali at cover point. With his score on 120, Davies edged Alan Richardson between first and second slip at head height. But ten overs later Richardson, pulling off a brilliant catch after running back from mid-on, drew a line under Davies's 137 off 200 balls.

Solanki's direct hit at the bowler's end from mid-off saw off Nel, who made an eventful 28, then Ali, having earlier accounted for Davies, had Iftikhar Anjum caught on the long-on boundary.

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