WORCESTERSHIRE collapsed to leave County Championship Division One title favourites Surrey a 272 victory target.

Morne Morkel took five wickets for five runs in 38 balls on day three at Blackfinch New Road to reduce the bottom-of-the-table hosts from 154-2 to 203 all out in their second innings.

A much larger chase had looked to be looming for the visitors.

Surrey’s minimum target to win the championship is to avoid defeat but a positive result seems assured one way or the other unless the weather intervenes.

They were given the ideal start to their second innings by first-innings century-maker Rory Burns (33 not out) and Mark Stoneman (37no) with an unbroken opening stand of 70 from 20 overs.

Worcestershire are in danger of three successive setbacks to damage their relegation fight after losing to Lancashire and Hampshire.

The County collected the last four Surrey first-innings wickets for 55 runs to earn a lead of 68.

Another polished innings from Tom Fell (89) pressed home the advantage but then Morkel struck.

Josh Tongue made the first breakthrough of the day when Morkel (16) shouldered arms and was bowled.

Ben Foakes (13) edged Dillon Pennington to Fell in the gulley region.

Burns’ fine knock ended on 122 when he went for a pull against Ed Barnard and miscued to Wayne Parnell at mid-on.

His 206-ball knock contained 18 fours.

The innings ended when Jade Dernbach (6) holed out to Tongue at long-off against Pennington.

County openers Daryl Mitchell and Fell put on 65 in relatively untroubled fashion before the former on 15 nicked Rikki Clarke to second slip.

Debutant Ollie Westbury (15) tried to work spinner Amar Virdi on the leg side and was lbw.

But the County still looked on course to set a target well in excess of 300 as keeper Alex Milton joined Fell for a stand of 63.

Cue the introduction of Morkel and Milton (24) edged a ball of extra bounce and was caught behind.

Then to the final ball before tea Fell was squared up and bowled.

His season’s best 134-ball innings contained 13 fours and followed a first-innings 69.

But Morkel and Virdi went on to clean up the rest of the innings.

Ross Whiteley and Parnell were bowled and Barnard fell lbw in quick succession to Morkel.

Virdi accounted for Joe Clarke, batting down the order because of a back injury, and Pennington.

Eight wickets fell for 49 runs in 19 overs.