Record breaking pair flay Hampshire

Jim Troughton is congratulated by Tim Ambrose after reaching the first double century of his career against Hampshire

Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose invaded Brian Lara’s territory with a rapid partnership of 335 as Warwickshire turned the screw on Hampshire in their LV= County Championship at Edgbaston.

Setting a new county record for the fifth wicket, they surpassed the unbroken 322-run stand Lara shared with Keith Piper in 1994 on the way to his world record score of 501 not out against Durham.

Troughton made 223, the first double century of his career, while Ambrose reached 153 before the stand was broken after 81 overs.

Rikki Clarke then weighed in with 20 fours in a 78-ball charge to his first hundred in three years.

Clarke (112) and Ant Botha (51) put on 138 in 22 overs before Warwickshire declared 251 ahead at 630 for eight, but Hampshire openers Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams made 61 without loss in 11 overs to the close, reducing the deficit to 190.

At the start of the third day the game seemed to be evenly balanced with Warwickshire still 155 adrift of the visitors’ 379 even after Troughton’s progress to his 14th championship hundred in the final over on Thursday.

Hampshire missed two opportunities to limit further damage. Ambrose was on 73 when Michael Lumb got a hand to an overhead chance off James Tomlinson.

Troughton also escaped on 132 when Tomlinson failed to hold a drive in his follow-through and this proved to be a costly slip as the left-hander cut loose on passing his previous best score of 162 against Worcestershire in 2007.

Liam Dawson was cast in the role of undercard bowler when he came on for his third over of the innings with the total 371 for four.

The left-arm spinner was given only 24 balls in which he conceded 36 runs – including four leg-side sixes by Troughton.

The partnership was surprisingly cut short when Hampshire turned to a pair of occasional bowlers.

Ambrose, having hit 17 fours from 240 balls, played on to Adams off his pads, and Troughton edged to Dominic Cork at slip, attempting to drive Carberry.

Apart from his sixes, Troughton picked off 23 fours and batted for more than seven hours after beginning his innings with Warwickshire wobbling at 12 for two.

Dawson was brought back during the Clarke-Botha assault and only marginally repaired his figures when he had both batsmen caught for a return of 2-75 in 8.5 overs.