IT WOULD be hard to imagine a greater gulf in strategic grasp than that between a Worcestershire side that, despite the loss of 113 overs, has controlled this game from the start and a Surrey contingent that has looked throughout like the sad shadow of a once outstanding team.

Building on centuries from Stephen Moore and Stephen Peters, Ben Smith and Andrew Hall found 129 runs to carry Worcestershire to a declaration the moment maximum batting points were secured. They then swept aside four top-order batsmen in the hour after tea.

All this despite ducks from Vikram Solanki, who edged Ian Salisbury’s leg break to the wicketkeeper, and Graeme Hick, one of three men who fell in 35 balls from Adam Hollioake in the morning, each attacking his gentle outswing. But Moore and Peters, the other two victims, had offered an opening foundation of 240 runs and, against woeful fielding and bowling that wholly lacked belief, Smith, whose undefeated 80 needed 89 balls, and Hall, with an unbeaten 53, were almost contemptuous.

Moore, the South African, was given trials in the Surrey second XI as an 18-year-old before going on to Exeter University and gaining his contract at Worcester. Following an obdurate 111 at Lord’s with a career-best 146 from 260 balls here, he has spent more than 15 hours at the crease in his past two innings.

Such resolve was absent when Mark Butcher drove a slower ball to extra cover and Mark Ramprakash, Hollioake and Scott Newman fell in three overs from Hall.

A success for Gareth Batty, who had his namesake, Jon, taken at short leg, and the loss of Alistair Brown left Worcestershire, worried about rain today, requesting the extra eight overs. The umpires surprisingly refused them.