Joe Leach and Charlie Morris claimed three early wickets for Worcestershire before being held up by Warwickshire skipper Varun Chopra's century on the third morning of the LV = County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Leach (two) and Morris (one) collected three wickets for 19 in the space of 32 balls as Warwickshire lost half of their side for 125 and with Sam Hain unable to bat because of a shoulder injury suffered yesterday when fielding.
Leach, fresh from career best first innings figures of 6-73, made the first breakthrough when Laurie Evans (16) drove at the ball and was safely pouched at second slip by Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell.
Tim Ambrose edged the next delivery from Leach just short of Mitchell but the Warwickshire wicket-keeper was soon on his way back to the pavilion.
Leach got the ball to cut back sharply and Ambrose (6) nicked it onto the pad before it ballooned up to Jack Shantry at fourth slip.
In the next over Morris had his reward for a probing spell when he clung onto a caught and bowled chance offered by Rikki Clarke(1).
Keith Barker rode his luck in the early stages against Morris, edging him between second and third slip for two and seeing another false stroke fly away to the third man boundary.
Morris and Leach bowled morning spells of 8-2-26-1 and 9-2-24-2 before being replaced by Moeen Ali and Jack Shantry respectively.
Another change saw Sachithra Senanayake enter the attack at 183-5 and in his first over a single took Chopra to his century off 212 balls with 10 fours.
Moeen ended a stand of 66 in 20 overs between Chopra and Barker when the latter was trapped lbw for 43.
Chopra was unbeaten at lunch on 107 out of 196-6 – a lead of 311.
