CENTURY star Graeme Hick and Ben Smith continued to capitalised on four wickets each for Andy Bichel and Kabir Ali as Worcestershire took complete control of their Frizzell County Championship Division Two match against Durham at New Road today.

Hick was unbeaten on 135, while Smith was 32 not out as the County built a big first innings lead.

This was after they closed last night on 264-2 off 62 overs in reply to injury-hit Durham's dismal 120.

Yesetrday the lowly visitors, who made 49 before losing their first wicket, soon found Bichel and Kabir too hot to handle and were ripped out in just 39.5 overs.

Lively Kabir grabbed 4-31 and Bichel 4-58 to set the scene for a highly successful day for promotion- hopefuls Worcestershire who were back in Championship action at New Road for the first time since May 18.

Kabir's haul boosted his impressive bag of first-class wickets so far this season to 37.

New Road Director of Cricket Tom Moody said of the 21-year-old: "He's had his injury problems over the last two years and he's found it difficult to show us his talent being in the physio's room. But now he's fit and stronger and he's having the chance to show us what he can do by playing. He's got a strong mentality and he's hungry to succeed."

Opener Gary Pratt was Durham's top scorer with 34 and his dismissal -- caught and bowled by Bichel -- sparked his badly dented side's disappointing decline.

When Worcestershire launched their reply they soon lost Philip Weston to paceman Neil Killeen for four. It was a rare success for Durham who were then buried by a 190-run stand in 38 overs between Hick and Anurag Singh -- the highest partnership by the County for any wicket in matches against the Riverside club.

Singh looked on course for a century when he offered a straightforward catch to Nicky Peng off paceman Danny Law. He smacked 17 fours off 128 balls in 175 minutes.

Soon afterwards Hick completed the 119th first-class ton of his career and his first in the Championship this season.