WARWICKSHIRE were in total control at the halfway stage of their LV= County Championship Division One tussle with neighbours Worcestershire as the wickets continued to tumble at Edgbaston.

The hosts reached the close on the second day at 105-2 in their second innings and 220 ahead overall for a commanding position in conditions which have helped bowlers throughout.

Both seam attacks have exploited the conditions well but Warwickshire took the ascendancy not least because they had selected four specialist seamers to the visitors’ three.

The Bears’ pace quartet, led by Keith Barker (3-43) and Chris Wright (3-60), all chipped in as Worcestershire, replying to 264, were bowled out for just 149 in only 42.5 overs.

Prolonged resistance came only from Ben Cox, who top-scored for the third successive innings for Worcestershire (45 from 73 balls), and Tom Fell (36 from 70 balls).

Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra compiled an unbeaten 72 off 142 balls before the close and, with a lot of time left in the match and the weather set fair, the Bears are well placed to record their first Championship win of the season.

The only negative on their day came from an injury to 19-year-old Sam Hain, who suffered a shoulder problem diving in the field.

He will not bat again in the match with the injury due to be assessed in the morning and then scanned later in the week to assess the extent of the damage.

Resuming this morning on 258-8, Warwickshire added just six runs before Joe Leach collected another wicket to finish with a career-best 6-73.

But Worcestershire then hit serious pre-lunch turbulence. Daryl Mitchell perished cruelly, run out backing up, before Wright trapped Moeen Ali lbw and had Richard Oliver caught at backward point.

Then Barker yorked Alex Gidman and forced Alex Kerveezee to edge to third slip.

Cox added 44 with Fell and 39 with Leach to see Worcestershire past the follow-on figure but, after Clarke removed the former, the last four wickets fell for just 17 runs in eight overs.

After Ian Westwood edged Jack Shantry behind, William Porterfield took 30 balls to get off the mark and crawled to four from 49 balls before perishing on the sweep to Sachithra Senanayake.

Chopra remained firmly rooted, hitting seven boundaries ahead of tomorrow's third day of play.