Worcestershire 212 (Libby 77, J Taylor 3-19, Lawrence 3-49) and 207 for 5 f/o (Kashif 66, Roderick 63, Clark 3-31) trail Surrey 490 by 71 runs

Leaders Surrey remain on course to win their fifth Vitality County Championship match of the season despite prolonged resistance from Worcestershire's Gareth Roderick and Kashif Ali on day three at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Surrey achieved the first objective before lunch in claiming the final three Worcestershire first innings wickets and enforcing the follow on with a lead of 278 despite resistance from top scorer Jake Libby, Ben Allison and Adam Finch.

Opener Roderick and Kashif then dug in to add 135 from 34 overs in relatively untroubled fashion for the second wicket. But three wickets then fell in three overs to turn the game firmly back in Surrey's favour in the final session of the day.

Jordan Clark was the chief thorn in Worcestershire's side with three wickets as they closed still needing 71 to make Surrey bat again.

England spin bowling coach, Jeetan Patel, was at New Road and put Shoaib Bashir, on loan to Worcestershire from Somerset, and Dan Lawrence through their paces before the start of play.

He saw Lawrence quickly strike for a third time in the innings after only nine runs had been added to the overnight 147 for 7. Allison, having added 54 for the ninth wicket with Libby, pushed forward to the spinner and edged to Surrey captain Rory Burns at slip.

Finch provided Libby with staunch support during a stand of 15 overs before the latter's five hour resistance came to an end. He was on the receiving end of a fine delivery from Gus Atkinson which left him and Foakes gobbled up a fifth catch of the innings.

The innings was wrapped up when Shoaib Bashir pulled James Taylor straight to square leg to leave Finch unbeaten on 27 spanning 71 balls. The final three wickets held out for 43 overs - the same as the first seven dismissals.

When Worcestershire followed on, Libby did the bulk of the scoring but after making 28 out of 33 he went for an expansive drive and was bowled via an inside edge by Jordan Clark.

Roderick cut and cover drove Taylor for four but was fortunate when he mistimed a drive against Clark which flew in the air past the bowler and Lawrence at mid-on.

Kashif Ali needed treatment after being struck on the hand by Gus Atkinson and then nicked the same bowler for a fortunate four but he also played some delightful late cuts.

Roderick was first to his half century off 114 balls with seven fours and just ahead of Kashif whose fifty was completed off 85 balls.

The century partnership was completed off 167 balls but the two batters fell in quick succession. Roderick (63) edged Clark and was caught low down at slip and then Kashif (66) went to pull Atkinson and lobbed up a simple catch to square leg.

Rob Jones (0) fell to a diving catch by Foakes off Clark from a delivery that was too full to attempt a cut. Ethan Brookes also nicked through to Foakes when trying to force Abbott off the back foot - his eighth catch of the match.