Lancashire in charge as Warwicks wickets tumble

LV COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION ONE, Edgbaston:
CLOSE OF PLAY, DAY TWO: Lancashire 354 & 152-8 Warwickshire 113
Warwicks 3pts, Lancs 7pts
Match scorecard

Mahmood's second innings half-century could prove crucial

Lancashire took control of their clash with Warwickshire, despite 20 wickets falling on day two at Edgbaston.

Steven Croft ended unbeaten on 89 as Lancashire added 31 to their overnight 323-8 to be bowled out for 354.

Glen Chapple (5-27) and Sajid Mahmood (3-44) did the damage as the Bears were skittled for 113, Neil Carter (69no) the only man to make double figures.

The visitors chose to bat again and saw Mahmood make a valuable 55 not out as they closed on 152-8, a lead of 393.

With a first-innings lead of 241, Chapple's decision not to enforce the follow-on seemed strange, more so when his side slumped to 33-6 as Preston-born Andrew Miller claimed a career-best 5-35.

But Mark Chilton (43) added an important 35 for the seventh wicket with Chapple before sharing 66 with Mahmood, who then put on an unbroken 30 with James Anderson before bad light intervened to leave the Red Rose county in a powerful position with two days to go.

And with Anderson back in the ranks, replacing Luke Procter after arriving back from World Twenty20 duty with England, they will be hot favourites to go on and complete victory.

Warwickshire's 113 was their lowest score at Edgbaston in four years, although it could have been more embarrassing as they were 22-6 - and could have been 22-7 had Stephen Moore not dropped Tim Ambrose at second slip - before Carter helped them to some kind of respectability, reaching his half-century off a typically rapid 53 balls.

BBC Coventry and Warwickshire's Clive Eakin on a dramatic day at Edgbaston:
"Warwickshire's director of cricket Ashley Giles told supporters at Monday's members forum that this is the flattest pitch of the season so far at Edgbaston, so he must have been scratching his head as 20 wickets fell on the second day.

"It's been gripping stuff again, no wonder the members at that forum were urging the committee to oppose any plans to reduce the number of Championship fixtures from next season.

The Bears will be chasing around 400. They have successfully reached targets of over 400 twice before, in 1983 here and in 2002 at Hove.

"It'll be a remarkable achievement if they manage it again in this match."