Former Somerset pace bowler Gareth Andrew gave Worcestershire a welcome boost with an undefeated career-best 77 from 107 balls against Nottinghamshire in the LV County Championship Division One clash at New Road.

Smashing a dozen fours and a six, the hard-hitting left hander built on earlier half-centuries by Daryl Mitchell and Ben Smith as the struggling home side posted a first-day total of 314 for seven.

Nottinghamshire have slipped off the pace in the championship after seven matches without a win and this meeting with a county cut off at the bottom of the table probably represents their last chance to make up ground on the leaders, Durham.

Winning the toss gave their bowlers every opportunity as the ball swung throughout the opening session but Andre Adams was the only one to make progress in two spells for an impressive return of two of 22 in 12 overs.

The New Zealander accounted for Stephen Moore with a lifting delivery darting away from the batsman and then had Vikram Solanki taken at first slip after the Worcestershire captain had hit four boundaries in making 30.

Mitchell worked hard to end a run of low scores. Battling through a challenging spell by Mark Ealham, the determined opener scored 25 in two hours to lunch and eventually batted for nearly four hours in compiling his first championship 50 in 12 innings.

Smith also found some form after dropping into the second XI last week to make 151 against Warwickshire at Kidderminster. Clearly benefiting from time in the middle, he hit as many as 11 boundaries in reaching his third championship half-century of the season.

However, his dismissal for 52 instigated a middle-order wobble. Caught behind cutting at a ball from Charlie Shreck, he was followed by Moeen Ali, leg-before padding up to Adams, and Steve Davies, cutting Shreck to point.

Mitchell, dropped at second slip off Adams on 36, ploughed on to 53 from 170 balls before giving wicketkeeper Chris Read his third catch, but at 181 for six Worcestershire justified their decision to play an extra batsman.

Dutch prospect Alex Kervezee created a platform with a useful 34 before Shreck trapped him with a ball that kept low after a stand of 59 with Andrew.

Andrew surpassed a previous best of 44, when he was with Somerset in 2004, and further exposed limitations in Nottinghamshire's under-strength attack.

Pulling Shreck over square leg to register his 50, he thrived on support from Richard Jones (27 not out) who also chipped in with a personal best as an unbroken partnership of 74 lifted Worcestershire to a first-innings total of 300 for only the fourth time his summer.