Lancashire make Streak pay

Gary Keedy picked up four of the six Warwickshire wickets to fall in the second innings

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Warwickshire lost control of their LV County Championship Division One match against Lancashire after captain Heath Streak declined to enforce the follow-on.

Lancashire trailed by 160 on first innings despite a battling century from Luke Sutton, but Streak adopted a safety-first approach by opting to bat again, handing the visitors an escape route at Edgbaston.

Slow-left-armer Gary Keedy then claimed four wickets and took his match haul to nine by reducing Warwickshire to 113 for six - a lead of 273 - and giving Lancashire an outside chance of forcing an unlikely win.

Former Derbyshire wicket-keeper Sutton started the new season as he ended the old, in which he also made 111 in the draw with Hampshire at Southampton.

Despite his efforts, Lancashire were dismissed for 330 and the announcement Warwickshire would bat again did not go down well with some home supporters.

Streak's decision might have been appreciated by Warwickshire's battery of seamers, who had to work hard for their wickets on an unresponsive pitch.

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn began his Warwickshire career with 4-70 and was well supported by Lancashire reject Jimmy Anyon, who claimed three wickets against his native county.

Steyn took only 14 wickets in six championship games for Essex in his previous stint in England two years ago but he has since become a more mature bowler.

Warwickshire used him in short, sharp bursts and he was particularly effective with the second new ball.

He generated pace and bounce to account for Glen Chapple before bowling Kyle Hogg off a thick edge when he switched to the City End.

Anyon, who played in the same Lancashire youth teams as James Anderson and Sajid Mahmood, ended Sutton's resistance with a delivery that left him late.

Sutton struck 17 boundaries and shared a fifth-wicket partnership of 147 with Paul Horton.

Darren Maddy, awarded his Warwickshire cap before the start of play, then pulled off a one-handed catch at second slip to account for Oliver Newby, and Anyon ended the innings by cleaning up Dominic Cork.

Warwickshire were expected to go for quick runs to set up a declaration, but Lancashire fought back well with the ball.

Maddy and Johnathan Trott were bowled in the space of three balls from Newby, with Trott, who played on, bagging a pair.

Ian Westwood batted pleasantly for his 32 but turned Keedy to short-leg and Alex Loudon carved to point.

Jim Troughton then paddled Keedy to Stuart Law at leg slip and Warwickshire's slump continued when Streak edged low to the diving Law at second slip.