County Championship D1, Edgbaston, day three (close): Warwickshire 449; Lancashire 781Veterans Carl Hooper and Stuart Law set a new Lancashire record with a fifth wicket stand of 360 to put the Red Rose county in the driving seat.
The pair shared a partnership of 282 in a recent game against Middlesex and again showed how much they enjoy each other's company as the home attack was taken apart.
Off-spinner Mark Wagh took seven wickets as Lancashire were finally bowled out in the final moments of play, but they came at a cost of 222 runs from his 39.5 overs.
Hooper hit eight sixes and 16 fours in his 177 before he was caught by fellow West Indian Corey Collymore off Wagh with the total on 626.
Law eventually followed for 168, an innings which featured 23 boundaries, and he and Hooper have now amassed 11 centuries and eight 50s between them this season.
Warwickshire now have the task of trying to bat out the final day for a draw, a task made even more important following third from bottom Essex's win over Notts.
Warwickshire: M J Powell (Capt), N V Knight, M A Wagh, I R Bell, I J L Trott, T L Penney, D R Brown, K J Piper (Wkt), M M Betts, C D Collymore, A Richardson.
Lancashire: M J Chilton, I J Sutcliffe, M B Loye, S G Law, C L Hooper, K W Hogg, G Chapple, W K Hegg (Capt, Wkt), S P Crook, J Wood, G Keedy.
MMIX
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