ADAM Wheater joined an elite club in becoming Hampshire’s fourth Edgbaston double centurion.

Only Phil Mead, the county’s all-time leading run-scorer, West Indies legend Gordon Greenidge and Chris Smith, brother of Robin, had scored a double ton away to Warwickshire before Wheater’s unbeaten 204 helped Hampshire amass 531 against one of the Specsavers County Championship’s in-form teams.

Warwickshire began this match one point off top after last week’s ten-wicket crushing of Surrey at Guildford.

But from the moment they won an albeit very advantageous toss, the visitors have been in command.

After the foundation was laid by Liam Dawson’s pragmatic century on the first day, Wheater’s maiden double-century, 204 from 234 balls with 27 fours and three sixes, muscled Hampshire to their biggest total for three years against an attack, shorn of the injured Boyd Rankin, down to two senior specialist seamers.

When Warwickshire then dipped to 11-2 in reply, the follow-on figure of 382 seemed far away.

They recovered to 131-3 by the close and, on a benign surface on which bowlers can do little more than persevere, would be aghast to be bowled out twice.

But Hampshire have dictated the match and have scoreboard pressure on their side.

After Hampshire resumed on 304-4, Wheater, playing as a specialist batsman with Lewis McManus now first-choice wicketkeeper, advanced relentlessly.

He added 79 with nightwatchman Mason Crane 22 (73 balls, four fours) and, after the latter was bowled by Jonathan Trott, 144 with Sean Ervine (75 , 94 balls, seven fours, two sixes).

Ervine’s departure triggered the loss of the last five wickets in 19 balls, two to Jeetan Patel and three in six balls for leg-spinner Josh Poysden who finished with a career-best 4-85.

Warwickshire began their reply at the start of a post-tea session which would have lasted 49-overs if the last 6.4 had not been lost to bad light and hit early trouble at 11-2 when Gareth Andrew bowled Andy Umeed, who offered no shot and Gareth Berg castled Ian Bell who did offer one but to no avail.

Varun Chopra appeared well-set on 39 (84 balls, seven fours) but then missed one from that perhaps kept a little low from Andrew. Jonathan Trott, averaging 68.20 in the championship this season and fresh from a century last week, batted with authority to reach the close unbeaten on 59 (116 balls, seven fours).

But Warwickshire have plenty more batting to do against an attack including recalled teenagers Brad Wheal and Mason Crane.