Dale Benkenstein admitted that not enough Hampshire batsmen built upon their solid platform on the first day of their Championship clash at Warwickshire today.

“We had a very good start after being put in,” the coach said.

“We would have batted first if we had won the toss. It is a very good wicket. Not a flat wicket, just a good wicket.”

After Jimmy Adams and Liam Dawson had put on almost 100 for the first wicket, Adam Wheater top scored for the visitors with 74 off 91 balls while Hampshire were also indebted to 48 from tailender Danny Briggs as they reached 319.

“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,” rued Benkenstein.

“Wheats batted really well and Briggsy was positive and that got us back in the game.

“A total around 300 made it a medium day for us. 400 would have been a good day.”

Warwickshire paceman Boyd Rankin insists his England ambitions remain strong after he started the season with a career-best six for 75.

Rankin has played just one Test match for England, an ill-fated appearance in the last Test of the 2013/14 Ashes whitewash down under when, far from fully fit, he far from did himself justice.

And the 30-year-old does not wish that unhappy experience to be the full extent of his Test match career.

“Of course I would love to play for England again," he said. “I thought I had a pretty good winter with the Lions in both the Test matches and the one-dayers so I was just keen to come back to Warwickshire and continue that form.”

Rankin's wickets helped the Bears dismiss Hampshire for 319 on an Edgbaston pitch which looks good for batting.

“It is a pretty good deck so overall we are pretty happy with that score,” he said. "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 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.

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 (53, 130 balls, nine fours) 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 (82 balls) 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 the Gareth Berg after tea but Wheater lifted Jeetan Patel for six on his way to 50 from 60 balls. Wheater and Danny Briggs added 103 in 22 overs before the former edged the persevering Barker to first slip.

Briggs (48, 76 balls) became Rankin's sixth victim, lbw, leaving Warwickshire four overs batting which Varun Chopra and Ian Westwood negotiated safely.