Worcestershire met with solid resistance from Hampshire skipper Jimmy Adams and Will Smith before spinner Saeed Ajmal made a double breakthrough on the third morning of the LV = County Championship top two encounter at New Road.
The pair put on 107 in 35 overs before Adams on 40 swept at Ajmal and was adjudged lbw.
Then Ajmal struck again with the last ball before lunch when Smith (67) went for a pull shot and was bowled by a quicker and flatter delivery with the total on 114-3.
Hampshire resumed on 10-1 – after losing Michael Carberry to the first ball of the innings – in reply to Worcestershire's impressive 402-9 declared from 118 overs.
Jack Shantry and Charlie Morris opened the attack for the home side who have taken maximum bowling points from their opening seven Championship matches.
Adams was fortunate on four when he miscued Morris just short of Matt Pardoe at mid-wicket.
Then the same player on 15 survived a confident lbw shout from Joe Leach who replaced Shantry at the Diglis End.
Shantry switched ends and a four at his expense by Adams through mid wicket brought up the 50 in the 20th over.
Ajmal was introduced into the attack at the New Road at 71-1 after 23 overs.
Smith played and missed at Leach when on 40 and yesterday's century hero Ben Cox produced a fine legside take off the same bowler.
But in between both batsmen accumulated freely and in relatively untroubled fashion.
Smith reached his half century off 103 balls with nine fours out of 93-1 in the 30th over.
Worcestershire's other spinner, Shaaiq Choudhry, came into the attack in place of Ajmal who reverted to the Diglis End.
Choudhry was playing his first senior match since spending a month on the side-lines with a broken thumb.
The 100 partnership between Smith and Adams came up in 31 overs before they were both ousted by Ajmal.
