County Championship: Keaton Jennings helps Lancashire extend lead against Warwickshire

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings completed the 62nd half-century of his career - and his 27th for the Red Rose

Lancashire captain Keaton Jennings led the way with a dogged half-century against Warwickshire in Birmingham to build a lead of 297 runs going into the final day.

The weather forecast for Edgbaston on Saturday is awful, much as it is around the rest of the country - and it had been speculated that Lancashire might try to score quickly in an attempt to contrive a result inside three days.

But, after taking just 52 minutes to finish off the Bears for 212, for a first-innings lead of 115, the visitors concentrated simply on seeing out day three on a deteriorating pitch, rather than fretting about day four.

On the same track used for T20 Finals Day on Saturday, seeing Jennings at the crease was a reminder that he holds the record for the best individual score made in a T20 final, 88 in 58 balls for Durham against Northants in 2016.

But this time Jennings was a lot more conservative in his pursuit of runs, taking four hours and 18 minutes over his unbeaten 64 from 174 balls, well supported in the main by first-innings maiden centurion George Balderson, who this time made 46 before the weather forced an early close.

Earlier, it took less than an hour for the Bears tail to succumb from their overnight score of 179-5, chiefly thanks to spinners Jack Morley and Luke Wells, who bagged two scalps each.

Morley was first to break through, snapping up Dan Mousley, who added just two to his overnight score to depart for 47.

The left-arm spinner followed that by having Michael Burgess adjudged caught at leg slip by George Bell, who was then at short leg when Danny Briggs was caught off the face of the bat by Luke Wells.

The Bears were then all out when Oliver Hannon-Dalby was run out by Hamza Mir after being called for a quick single that did not exist and last man Chris Rushworth, batting with a runner due to a calf injury, charged at Wells and was stumped by yards.

But batting remained tricky and Wells went third ball, lbw to Hannon-Dalby, who also got Josh Bohannon for 25 when he chipped to substitute fielder Marques Ackerman at mid-wicket.

But Jennings dropped anchor while partners came and went.

Phil Salt nicked a pull at Ed Barnard. Daryl Mitchell skied Hamza to give Ackerman a second catch, running in from deep mid-wicket, and George Bell was caught behind off Briggs.

Balderson and Jennings then shared a stand of 92 in 26 overs, ended only by a second run-out mix-up.

Balderson set off for a single after his drive was parried by bowler Briggs and, having been sent back by Jennings, was beaten by Sam Hain's throw from extra cover.