Fast bowler Boyd Rankin seized a career-best 6-75 as Warwickshire and Hampshire exchanged blows on a fascinating opening day of their LV=County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Hampshire were bowled out for 319, having prospered in the first session, rattled by Rankin in the second and then fighting back, thanks to a punchy 91-ball 74 from Adam Wheater, in the third.
When the visitors, put in, reached 94 without loss, they had a solid foundation on which to build their attempt to bounce back from defeat to Sussex in their opening game of the season.
But they lost six wickets in the afternoon session, four of them to Rankin who ended with five or more wickets in an innings for only the seventh time in his first-class career.
Rankin's work forced Hampshire into retreat and it took a bold counter-attack from Wheater to leave the match, on a good batting pitch, evenly-poised after the first day.
At lunchtime, Warwickshire might have reflected they would be better off losing the first toss of the season. Last year, against Sussex, they chose to bat and before lunch were 87 all out.
First Class Career Best for Boyd Rankin today. Not a bad day at the office. #YouBears pic.twitter.com/LvQQ2qxd62
— Warwickshire CCC (@CricketingBears) April 19, 2015
This time they bowled and Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson took Hampshire to the interval at 89 without loss.
Warwickshire's attack, without the injured Chris Woakes, struggled for line early on but improved significantly, led by Rankin and Chris Wright.
After Wright trapped Dawson lbw, Rankin struck twice as Adams, on 53, edged to second slip and James Vince fell lbw.
Michael Carberry, a habitual plunderer of Warwickshire with a first-class average of 54.50 against them, advanced dangerously to 42 but then played on to Wright.
When Rankin yorked Will Smith and had Sean Ervine caught in the cordon, six wickets had fallen for 100 runs in 33 overs.
Rankin quickly added Gareth Berg after tea but Wheater lifted Jeetan Patel for six on his way to 50 from 60 balls.
Wowsers! #Wheater was pretty lucky there! @CricketingBears v @hantscricket@LV_Cricket#LVCC D1 178-5 pic.twitter.com/5xl9kVYEm7
— Focus Images Ltd (@FocusImagesLtd) April 19, 2015
Wheater and Danny Briggs added 103 in 22 overs before the former edged the persevering Keith Barker to first slip.
Briggs, with 48, became Rankin's sixth victim, lbw, leaving Warwickshire four overs batting which Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood negotiated safely, adding 14 runs.
Irishman Rankin said: "It is a pretty good deck so overall I think we are pretty happy with that score. It was a pretty good day for us.
"We have just got to bat well. There was a bit of swing all along but we have got a good batting line-up so hopefully we can put a big score on the board."
Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein said: "We had a very good start after being put in. We would have batted first if we had won the toss. I think it is a very good wicket. Not a flat wicket, just a good wicket.
"After the start we had, we had a disappointing middle session with batters getting in but not making a big score, which was a little bit like how it was in our last game.
"Wheats batted really well and Briggsy was positive and that got us back in the game. But I think a total around 300 made it a medium day for us. 400 would have been a good day."