SOLANKI AND WORCESTERSHIRE CELEBRATE by Marcus Hook
Worcestershire 701-6d v Surrey 144-1.

On another run-filled day at New Road, Worcestershire racked up the highest total in their 108-year history, while Vikram Solanki also celebrated his second first-class double century - a regal 232 in 247 deliveries that included seven sixes and 25 fours. The home side progressed to 701-6 declared, but when it was Surrey's turn to bat the hosts were only able to claim one scalp as Jonathan Batty rode his luck to finish the second day with an unbeaten 66.

Resuming on 109 off 121 balls on a slow, lifeless pitch that has so far done little to promote competitive championship cricket, Solanki soon looked in with a good chance of overhauling the career best 222 he recorded against Gloucestershire at Bristol at the beginning of June last year.

Ben Smith departed in the ninth over of the day to a ball that Rikki Clarke got to nip back and clip the top of off stump, though not before Smith and Solanki had added 155 in 33 overs for the third wicket - a new record for Worcestershire against Surrey, beating Mark Scott and Younis Ahmed's 153 at the Oval in 1981.

Four overs later the Worcestershire captain brought up the 500 with a four off Clarke. On the evidence of what had gone before, Graeme Hick was odds-on to go past 40,000 first-class runs yesterday, but in the 122nd over, having just pulled Ian Salisbury for four, he attempted the same stroke to one the leg-spinner skidded on, leaving umpire Ian Gould with no choice but to point his right index finger skywards.

Solanki went to his 150 in 182 deliveries thanks to an overthrow, which the Brown Caps' manager Alan Butcher - who, at the time, was on the pitch for Azhar Mahmood - had to tidy up after the return had evaded both Jon Batty and Mark Ramprakash. Solanki then launched Salisbury over long-off for six as well as over extra cover for yet another maximum to reach the highest individual score by a Worcestershire batsman against Surrey, beating Hick's 182 at New Road in 1993.

The 31-year-old brought up his double century just after lunch and progressed to a new career best with a six over long-on off Mark Ramprakash, whose one and only over went for 18 runs. Solanki fell to a well judged catch by the former Middlesex man at long-off, but, having put on 153 for the fifth wicket in just 26 overs with Steve Davies, strode back to the pavilion to a standing ovation.

Then, bizarrely, a spectator, spoilt by seeing a glut of runs scored, vented his anger at Gareth Batty who had taken 17 balls to reach five. The man shouted: "Come on Batty hit out or get out," then packed up his things and stormed out of the ground in apparent disgust.

Davies, trying to lift Schofield to leg, was stumped for 81, his best innings this year, which lasted exactly 100 balls and included 11 fours. When the home side surpassed their previous record total - the 696-8 declared they amassed against Somerset on this ground in 2005 - they stuck Surrey in.

Needing 552 to avoid the follow, the visitors had moved to 62 without loss in eighteen overs by tea. After the break, Batty offered a difficult chance, on 25, to Davies, who dived full length in front of first slip and just failed to claim the edge off Nadeem Malik. But Kabir Ali continued to look the pick of the Pears' attack and his accuracy was rewarded in the 23rd over when Scott Newman attempted to work him through mid-on and was bowled middle and leg for 46.

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