Alexei Kervezee's third century in the LV County Championship put Worcestershire on course for their fifth victory of the season after a third-day surge against Surrey at New Road.

The 20-year-old Holland batsman - billed as "the new Graeme Hick" when he was signed in 2006 - made a rampaging 144 from 152 balls to leave Surrey with a demanding target of 369 in 120 overs.

They made some progress with Tom Lancefield reaching 35 in an opening stand of 57, but then lurched into trouble.

Shakib Al Hasan took three wickets in eight balls - including Mark Ramprakash for a duck - and Gareth Andrew removed Arun Harinath (21) as Surrey closed on 66 for four, needing a further 303.

Kervezee, who made his only previous hundreds in this season's meetings, home and away, with Derbyshire, seized control as Worcestershire posted a total of 319 after adding 190 in 35 overs between lunch and tea.

Kervezee was only two short of 100 in the session after half-century stands with Shakib (34) and James Cameron (17) and a blistering 74 from 10 overs with left hander Andrew (34).

Surrey were swamped after they had gone close to negating the home side's first innings advantage of 49.

Two wickets each for Chris Tremlett and Gareth Batty made it a profitable morning when Worcestershire were initially pegged back to 63 for four.

Striking with his fourth and ninth deliveries of the day, Tremlett dislodged David Wheeldon, playing across the line, and Vikram Solanki, tentatively edging low to Matthew Spriegel at third slip,

An opening spell of 8-4-4-2 helped the towering paceman towards his best match figures since moving from Hampshire. When he finally bowled Kervezee after tea, he had an overall return of eight for 87 from the two innings.

Off spinner Batty also had an incentive do well on his return to the county he left in the winter to return to the Brit Oval.

Former team-mate Daryl Mitchell was quickly deceived by one that turned but Moeen Ali might not want to see a replay of his shot to Spriegel at mid-off.

Kervezee approached a tricky situation with a fearless counter-attack, although adrenaline almost got the better of good judgment when he thrust hard at the last ball before lunch.

It went over the slips for four but his innings could have ended there and then.

With Worcestershire's lead only 153 at the interval, Kervezee took up the challenge with a fine array of strokes.

He went down the pitch to drive Batty for six and charged forward again when whipping Spriegel wide of mid-on to complete a 103-ball century.

The last six wickets - five of them bowled - were shared among the five-man attack but there was only one winner on the day.

Kervezee, who will qualify to play for England at the end of 2011, outshone everyone with 19 fours and two sixes in a brilliant three hour performance.