Brett D’Oliveira and Gareth Roderick led a fine Worcestershire recovery on day one of the LV=Insurance County Championship fixture with Nottinghamshire at New Road.
The pair joined forces immediately after lunch with Worcestershire on 99-5 and added 169 in 56 overs.
D’Oliveira came within 15 runs of his fourth Championship century of the season before he was caught behind off England pace bowler Jake Ball after the second new ball had been taken.
Roderick had scored 172 not out in his previous knock against Glamorgan at Cardiff and continued in the same vein in his undefeated 91.
The pair initially rebuilt the innings and then accelerated as Worcestershire reached 297-7 from 96 overs.
Worcestershire were put into bat on a green-tinged pitch and made one change from the side which drew with Sussex at Hove.
Matthew Waite, on loan from Yorkshire before joining Worcestershire permanently on a three year contract, came into the side for Joe Leach, whose partner is expecting their second child.
In seamer-friendly conditions, Ed Pollock (0) aimed a drive at Ball and inside-edged a delivery onto his stumps.
Azhar Ali (6) was undone by a ball of extra bounce in Ball’s next over, which he edged through to keeper Tom Moores.
Jake Libby, who hit a superb 215 in last week’s drawn game with Sussex, cover drove Brett Hutton for the first boundary.
The former Nottinghamshire batter (18) fell lbw to a ball slanted into him to give Dane Paterson his 50thChampionship wicket of the campaign.
Jack Haynes displayed some of the most positive batting of the morning session, and cover drove Paterson for four.
He made 33 off only 34 balls with five boundaries but was dismissed in the first over by Steven Mullaney when he pushed forward and edged through to Moores who was standing up.
Ed Barnard, Worcestershire’s leading scorer in first class cricket this summer, departed to the final ball before lunch when he nicked Paterson to second slip.
D’Oliveira was joined on the resumption by Roderick, and the duo mixed watchful defence with some fine stroke-play.
Roderick twice clipped Paterson off his legs for boundaries, and D’Oliveira cover drove Mullaney to the ropes as the pair gradually flourished.
A single off Mullaney enabled D’Oliveira to complete an excellent 141-ball half century.
The pair batted through the entire afternoon session, which produced 88 runs from 34 overs.
D’Oliveira and Roderick continued in the same vein after tea when the conditions had eased for batting.
Roderick produced one of the shots of the day with a straight drive for four off Mullaney, and he accelerated after completing a 117-ball half-century, hitting spinner Liam Patterson-White for six over long off.
D’Oliveira also cleared the ropes when pulling Mullaney over mid-wicket, but the second new ball broke the stand.
Ball claimed a third scalp when D’Oliveira on 85 drove at the England paceman and presented Moores with his third catch.
His 221 ball innings contained one six and 12 fours.
Waite (5) went lbw to Hutton, but Roderick will resume tomorrow on 91 not out from 190 balls with one six and 11 fours.
