Rediff

London, Jul 30: Surrey's India discard Harbhajan Singh took five wickets in Worcestershire's second innings, but Phil Jacques's century helped Worcs escape with a draw in the Division One county match in Guildford on Saturday.

Harbhajan claimed all the wickets to fall on the final day of the match, finishing with figures of 5 wickets for 64 runs.

Australia batsman Jacques thwarted Surrey's push for a possible victory, defying them with a solid knock of 103 as Worcester ended with 307 for 5.

Harbhajan's match figures of 9 for 128 will certainly make an impression on the selectors ahead of the selection of the Indian team for the seven match one-day series in England and Twenty20 World Championship.

Surrey posted 369 in their first innings, courtesy Mark Ramprakash's 142. In reply, Worcester were dismissed for 217 and forced to follow-on.

Out of favour after a disastrous World Cup in the West Indies, the 26-year-old off-spinner spun Surrey to victory with a three-wicket haul in his first match for the county against Durham and then followed it up with another three-wicket haul against Yorkshire.

In just three championship games, Harbhajan has done enough to suggest that he could be Surrey's ticket to Division One survival.