Club Captain Brett D’Oliveira and Ed Barnard led a record-breaking Worcestershire fightback on day three of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Durham at the Seat Unique Riverside.
The sixth-wicket pair set a new partnership record for any wicket against Durham of 197 in 62.3 overs, surpassing the 195 by Azhar Ali and Jack Haynes at New Road earlier this summer.
D’Oliveira was first to three figures with a back foot cover drive for three off Ben Raine.
It came off 249 balls with ten fours and his 11th first class century takes him one ahead of his late father, Damian.
D’Oliveira’s knock was even more commendable as he had suffered a shoulder injury when fielding on the second day.
Barnard also batted superbly, and a single to deep cover off Scott Borthwick completed the fourth hundred of his career from 197 balls with ten fours.
By the close, he had moved onto 116 not out, and Worcestershire added 299 runs during the day for the loss of just three wickets in reaching 431-6.
It was a magnificent response by Worcestershire after spending five sessions in the field and having to combat the scoreboard pressure after Durham totalled 642-7.
D’Oliveira and Barnard also took full toll of a benign pitch which has so far produced 1073 runs for 13 wickets from the opening three days.
Worcestershire were able to secure four batting bonus points and will be looking now to add another eight by securing a draw on the final day.
They resumed on 140-3 with Jack Haynes unbeaten on 44.
Nightwatchman, Charlie Morris (8), was caught at second slip off Ben Raine, with seven added to the overnight total.
D’Oliveira came to the middle to accompany Haynes, who reached a 75-ball half-century with a cover drive for four off Paul Coughlin, his ninth boundary.
The fifth-wicket pair were untroubled and had added 61 before Haynes (68) went to cut spinner Liam Trevaskis and was caught behind.
The morning session produced 96 runs from 29 overs, with D’Oliveira on 28 and Barnard 22 at lunch.
D’Oliveira mixed solid defence with some delightful strokes, while Barnard was equally effective.
The second new ball was taken at 277-5 from 80 overs, but D’Oliveira greeted it with three boundaries in an over from Chris Rushworth.
A cover drive took him to his fifty from 137 balls, and he then steered the same bowler backward of point and straight drove him down the ground.
Barnard completed the third fifty of the day with an off-drive for four at Matt Salisbury’s expense.
It came from 84 balls and included seven boundaries.
Worcestershire went through the middle session without losing a wicket, scoring 110 runs from 35 overs, with D’Oliveira moving onto 74 and Barnard 71.
Play continued in the same vein after tea, and Worcestershire secured a fourth batting point in the 102nd over.
D’Oliveira was finally dismissed for exactly 100 when lbw to Raine, his fourth wicket to add to his century yesterday, with the total 405-6 in the 122nd over.
But Gareth Roderick kept Barnard company to the close without any undue alarms.
