Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell again showed his liking for the Ageas Bowl as he completed his first century of the season and led his side to maximum batting points on a truncated third day against Hampshire in the LV = County Championship clash.
Mitchell, who had scored 172 not out in the corresponding fixture last season, was again unbeaten on 142 from 303 balls with 17 fours when he decided to declare at 403-5 from 96 overs.
Wicket-keeper Ben Cox maintained his excellent form and weighed in with 69 not out from 65 balls with eight boundaries as he and Mitchell added an unbroken 114 for the sixth wicket.
Hampshire were left with three overs batting and closed on 1-0 – still 180 in arrears with one day remaining.
Worcestershire had to kick their heels for the opening two thirds of the day after overnight rain, which finally stopped around 1.30pm, prevented play from getting underway until 4pm.
But they did their best to make up for lost time with Colin Munro setting a tone that was maintained by the rest of the batsmen.
There were 40 overs remaining at that stage with Mitchell resuming on 80 and Munro, who was making his Championship debut, on four with Worcestershire on 221-3, just one run in arrears.
Munro collected a flurry of boundaries in his first innings in first class cricket since making 281 for Auckland against Central District on March 24 when he hit a world record 23 sixes for a first class match.
The New Zealander came down the wicket to hoist Sean Ervine over mid wicket for six and then reverse swept spinner Danny Briggs twice for four.
He had made 34 off 32 balls when he was caught behind by stand-in keeper Lewis McManus, deputising for the injured Adam Wheater, off Briggs after a half century stand off just 8.5 overs with Mitchell.
Successive fours off Ervine by Mitchell took the opening batsman into the 90s.
Munro's dismissal brought in another Championship and first class debutant in Joe Clarke who got off the mark with a cut for four off Gareth Berg.
Mitchell continued to accumulate and went to a deserved hundred with his 11th boundary at the expense of Briggs.
But the spinner enjoyed a second success when Clarke on six also edged through to McManus with Worcestershire 289-5.
It was Hampshire's last success as Mitchell and Cox took command.
