Sussex captain Chris Adams was soon forced onto the defensive as the county fought to stay in contention with Warwickshire on the final day at Edgbaston.

Ian Bell and Jim Troughton scored 137 runs in the first 90 minutes today as Warwickshire hammered some poor Sussex bowling in a bid to set up a lunchtime declaration.

Adams began with Mushtaq Ahmed and Robin Martin-Jenkins, but the tone was set straight away when Troughton rocked back to cut the first ball of the day from Ahmed to the backward point boundary.

Bell was being talked about as a future England player a year ago, but his form has dipped to such an extent that when he took a single off Mushtaq in the tenth over of the day, it took him to only his second half-century since last June, made off 73 balls with eight boundaries.

Mushtaq, who took five wickets in the first innings, was far too wayward and suffered further punishment in his next over when a full toss down the leg side was despatched 30 rows back into the Raglan Stand by Troughton who was batting with increasing authority.

Bell pulled Martin-Jenkins for another six in the next over to bring up Warwickshire's 150, prompting Adams to make a double bowling change by introducing Jason Lewry and James Kirtley.

It made little difference to the scoring rate which remained at close to five an over.

Troughton reached his half-century off 68 balls with seven fours and two sixes when he collected a single in Lewry's second over and Sussex's morning was neatly summed up when wicketkeeper Matt Prior conceded four byes off Kirtley to bring up the century partnership in just 88 minutes.

The absence of a second slip allowed the flat-footed Bell to slash Lewry to the third man boundary for four, a shot he repeated twice in succession a couple of overs later.

Troughton crashed the left-armer through the off side for another boundary in the same over, forcing Adams to take him out of the firing line.

Off-spinner Mark Davis replaced him at the City End, but Troughton stepped down the pitch to loft him over long off in his first over and then struck his fourth six over long on in Davis's next over.

Lunch: Warwickshire 242 for 3 (422 Ist Innings); Sussex 367 all out