Highlights from day three
A maiden first-class century by Jack Shantry gave Worcestershire a glimmer of hope after facing defeat in three days by Division Two promotion rivals Surrey in the LV= County Championship at New Road.
In a remarkable turnaround the left-arm seam bowler hit 84 in boundaries - 18 fours and two sixes - in making an unbeaten 101 that lifted his side to 350, setting Surrey 217 to keep alive their hopes of going back to Division One.
In a nervy session to the close, they made 30 for one, reducing their target to 187, after struggling to handle Mitchell McClenaghan as he fired out Rory Burns, leg-before in the fifth over, and had Vikram Solanki dropped behind the wicket.
Whatever the outcome it will be remembered as Shantry's match. In successive days the Shropshire-born 26-year-old took 6-87 in Surrey's first innings, reaching 50 championship wickets in a season for the first time and then played the innings of a life, almost doubling his previous best of 55 not out.
Before Shantry and Joe Leach embarked on an hour or so of mayhem, the long-time Division Two leaders were only 37 runs ahead and apparently lurching towards a third consecutive defeat.
.@JackShantry scores maiden FC ton #COYP pic.twitter.com/dWp8AQQlg0
— Worcestershire CCC (@WorcsCCC) September 11, 2014
Yet in a mixture of whirlwind batting and undistinguished bowling, the eighth pair put on a stunning 108 in 111 balls with Leach completing his second half-century of the match.
Shantry became the catalyst for the onslaught, thrashing four fours and top edging a six in a couple of overs from Stuart Meaker and, having set the standard, he maintained his momentum until he left the field to a standing ovation.
A re-think at tea enabled Surrey to dislodge Leach, lbw for 50 in the second over from slow left-armer Zafar Ansari, but Shantry carried on with support from McClenaghan in another rip-roaring stand of 71 in 73 deliveries.
While the New Zealander played the scoop shot for one of three boundaries in an over from Jade Dernbach, Shantry reached his hundred by flicking a four off his hip off Matthew Dunn.
To Surrey's relief there was a quick wrap-up giving Dernbach a return of 4-72. McClenaghan was lbw for 23 and Charlie Morris bowled for a third-ball duck.
Stumps...Surrey 30-1 Solanki 21*, Ansari 3*....187 needed tomorrow it is then
— Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) September 11, 2014
Until Shantry re-shaped the game, Surrey appeared to be cruising home, having reduced Worcestershire to 171 for seven in mid-afternoon.
With the exception of Moeen Ali, who completed his second half-century of the game on the day he was awarded an England central contract, the top order folded all too quickly.
Daryl Mitchell, working across the line in Dernbach's fourth over of the day, and Tom Fell, driving at Gareth Batty, both got inside edges onto leg stump.
Richard Oliver was caught behind, hooking at the lively Dernbach, and Moeen, having lapped Batty for two sixes, was lbw for 51, attempting to repeat the shot.
Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Alexei Kervezee all frustrated Surrey before Shantry's heroics changed the game.
Congratulations to @JackShantry on your maiden first-class 100. Well done sir, it's feats like that make the County Championship great
— LV_Cricket (@LV_Cricket) September 11, 2014
The man of the day said of his maiden ton: "It feels fantastic. It hasn't really sunk in yet. It feels a lot better than getting five wickets, I can tell you that.
"I'm not sure it will happen again but I feel brilliant.
"I knew they were going to bowl short at me because [Stuart] Meaker hit me on the head in the first innings and I got out to the short ball. I had to be prepared. I had my plans and luckily they came off."
Stuart Barnes, Surrey's assistant coach, said: "Regardless of how we got to this position, we would have taken 217 to win. At 171 for seven it did look like it would be over sooner but Shantry hit the ball cleanly and swung the momentum towards them a little bit."