Warwickshire tore up the record book and then began to rip apart Yorkshire in their Champion- ship match at Edgbaston yesterday, writes David Warner.

Dominic Ostler hit a brutal 225, the highest score against Yorkshire in five years, as Warwicks piled up 601-9 declared to leave the champions wanting 452 to avoid the follow-on.

They sacrificed wickets in a brave attempt to stay positive and at the close were 261-6 with another 191 required to make Warwickshire bat again - and virtually all hope gone of avoiding relegation.

Ostler stood on 126 when Warwicks resumed in the morning on 374-5.

He bludgeoned Yorkshire's weary attack and by the time he was out just before lunch he had smashed 40 fours and a six and faced 239 balls.

He featured in four century stands, the highest number ever recorded by any side in a Yorkshire match and Warwickshire's 601 was their biggest total against the county, beating 536-7 declared at Birmingham in 1929.

Ostler's 225 was the biggest effort by a Warwicks batsman against York-shire, overtaking Crowther Charlesworth's 206 at Dewsbury in 1914, and it was the heaviest scoring innings since Alec Stewart's 271 not out for Surrey at The Oval in 1997.

Steven Kirby, warned by umpire Vanburn Holder for a beamer which hit Mohammad Sheikh on the hand, was flogged for 161 off 30 overs for one wicket, while Ryan Sidebottom, Nick Thornicroft and Richard Daw-son also went for 100-plus runs.

Yorkshire knew their only chance lay in a counter attack and after Vic Craven had edged Neil Carter to slip, Matthew Elliott and Anthony McGrath hit a 97 stand in 15 overs.

Elliott took on spinners Mark Wagh and Jamie Spires and rushed to 50 with two colossal sixes and two fours in one over from Wagh, who broke the partnership by trapping McGrath lbw for 56 from 52 balls with nine boundaries. Then left-armer Spires bowled Elliott with one that turned in as the left-hander tried to cut. He had made 74 from 66 balls with 11 fours and two sixes.

Both young spinners bowled intelligently, Michael Lumb pushing Wagh to silly mid-off and Spires tempting Gary Fellows to hit to short cover.

Richard Blakey was dropped on the boundary by Sheikh but Craig White batted with measured progress until he he dabbed Spires to slip.

Dawson helped Blakey bring a second batting bonus point.

Updated: 10:53 Saturday, September 14, 2002