SURREY MADE TO TOIL AGAIN by Marcus Hook
Worcestershire 446-2 v Surrey.

Not for the first time this season (and on yesterday's evidence probably not the last either), the Surrey attack was made to toil. On this occasion a hitherto under-performing Worcestershire top order prospered; albeit on a faultless New Road pitch. In their previous five outings in the County Championship, only Graeme Hick had reached three figures, but now Worcestershire boast four centurions this campaign as the hosts went past 400 for the first time this summer and then equalled their highest ever total against Surrey, which was set at Guildford back in 1979.

Kyle Hogg, on loan from Lancashire, came in for Dewald Nel. For the visitors, Azhar Mahmood replaced Mohammad Akram, who is out with a calf strain, while Chris Schofield was preferred to Nayan Doshi.

Vikram Solanki won the toss for the first time in this season's championship and must have had little hesitation in electing to bat. After playing themselves in, Phil Jaques and Stephen Moore combined for an opening stand of 234 in 60 overs. Solanki also hit a hundred, while Ben Smith's contribution was an undefeated 53 off 83 balls.

Jaques was in typically belligerent form, bringing up his ton in 126 deliveries; that, after his fifty had taken 97 balls. In all, the Australian hit 17 fours and two sixes - one of which struck a spectator in the face - before nibbling at a delivery from Matt Nicholson; who had switched to bowling round the wicket. At lunch, however, it was Moore who was the senior partner with 63 to Jaques's 42.

Jaques had one let-off, when he pulled Schofield to the square-leg boundary where Scott Newman got both hands to the ball, above his head, but succeeded only in helping it over the fence. The reintroduction of Nicholson and Mahmood stemmed the flow of runs until Moore took advantage of a Nicholson full toss to bring up his hundred in 192 deliveries with his nineteenth four.

Mahmood came within a whisker of yorking Solanki before he got off the mark, but in alliance with Moore the Worcestershire skipper helped to put on 95 in 20 overs for the second wicket. By this time, however, Mark Butcher had seen enough. The Surrey captain handed over the reins to Rikki Clarke - who gave himself just one further over - and retired with a migrane.

Moore hit the first two balls after tea for four to bring up the 300 and pulled Schofield out of the ground before finally falling for 143 off 255 balls, neatly stumped by Jonathan Batty after Ian Salisbury got one to turn and bounce. Other than that success, the Surrey spinners had a bad day, conceding 165 off 44 overs.

Solanki went to his own hundred with another straight six off Salisbury shortly before the close. It had taken him 164 minutes and 113 balls and included 15 fours and two maximum hits.

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