County Championship: Chris Benjamin and Sam Hain make tons as Warwickshire dominate Lancashire

Chris Benjamin and Sam Hain shared a 237-run stand for Warwickshire's second wicket at Old Trafford

Chris Benjamin maintained his stunning introduction to English cricket with his maiden century for Warwickshire against Lancashire in Manchester.

Benjamin, who had already scored fifties on both his List A and T20 debut for the Bears, this time went a step further to make 127.

After slumping to 7-2, Benjamin shared a stand of 237 with fellow centurion Sam Hain, who remains unbeaten on 113.

England opener Dom Sibley had earlier lasted 13 balls to go cheaply for 3.

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After Rob Yates had already edged to slip, Sibley was leg before wicket to Tom Bailey, the second wicket in successive overs for the Lancashire paceman.

In this meeting of the two best-placed Division One sides following the mid-season split, Lancashire did not strike again until six overs before the early close (for bad light) when Benjamin tried to pull a short ball from Saqib Mahmood but skied a catch to home skipper Dane Vilas at mid-off.

That was belated reward for Mahmood (1-57) who had been released from England's squad to make room for Warwickshire's fit-again all-rounder Chris Woakes.

The hosts also suffered a blow to their bowling attack when England limited-over leg-spinner Matt Parkinson deflected a drive from Benjamin into his face and suffered a cut to his eye. He was soon back on the field but ended up wicketless from his 21.1 overs.

Bears captain Will Rhodes, who has so far made 5, will resume on Tuesday alongside Hain, who will be keen to add a few more after his first century in red-ball cricket for more than two years.

But this was Benjamin's day as the young Durham University-educated South African, a Hundred finalist with Birmingham Phoenix just nine days ago, took to red-ball cricket even better than he has done white ball.

Warwickshire's discarded England opener Dom Sibley has made just two fifties in 16 first-class innings this summer

Lancs paceman Tom Bailey told BBC Radio Lancashire:

"It started well. I was thinking it was going to be a nice short day for me when I took a couple of wickets. But that new ball went after 10 overs. It felt like a sock for the other seventy!

"We knew it was a good wicket. We wanted to bat as well. But we've kept the run-rate down and if we can get a couple of early wickets in the morning we are right back in it.

"Benjamin & Hain played really well but that's not to take anything away from our bowlers, because we bowled well and we didn't get anything from the pitch."

Warwickshire centurion Chris Benjamin:

"It was a bit of dream come true. I've made three debuts for Warwickshire this year and they couldn't have gone much better.

"It was tough when we lost those wickets but I managed to build a partnership with Sam. He's a fantastic person with whom to bat. His energy turned those ones into twos and that made things a lot easier.

"He kept me focused and helped me to build a rhythm. We're in a great position."