ROOKIE Paceman Chris Liptrot claimed a career best 6-44 as Worcestershire forced Warwickshire to follow on 196 behind in the County Championship Division Two match at New Road today.

Warwickshire had resumed on 140-8 and added just two further runs for the loss of Graeme Welch and Ed Giddins.

Liptrot quickly slotted back into the wicket-taking groove by having Welch snapped up at second slip by Graeme Hick for a duck.

Alamgir Sheriyar then bowled Giddins middle stump as the "old enemy" were polished off in 54.2 overs.

Warwickshire's second innings got off to a grim start when Sheriyar struck in the first over to have Mike Powell caught at cover point by David Leather-dale for nought.

Yesterday, Liptrot ripped out Warwickshire's first three wickets in the space of ten deliveries and followed up later with another two scalps, including opener Powell for a defiant 75 which contained 11 fours off 169 balls.

The County had resumed on 231-5 off 64 overs with Vikram Solanki undefeated on 113.

He went on to make a splendid 160, just 20 short of completing 1,000 first-class runs this season.

Afterwards he said: "I didn't know I was 20 runs short. That's pleasing, but I would have liked to have gone past a thousand already."

Solanki, whose efforts were priceless following the County's dreadful start to their innings when they were 8-3, added: "It's nice to score runs at any time, but when you go in to bat in a situation like that it's always good to get a few."

He had resumed with Steve Rhodes, who was unbeaten on 20, and by the time they were parted had put on 112 in 34 overs.

Solanki, who clubbed 25 fours off 241 balls in 311 minutes, said: "We wanted to hang on for a little while and just make sure we didn't lose any early wickets and set a tone for the day.

"We managed to do that but unfortunately when we should have really kicked on I played a slightly indecisive shot.

"But to come back and put up a half decent total gave us something to bowl at."

Rhodes spent three hours 11 minutes for his 46 which included four fours off 137 balls. He finally fell after top edging a pull shot off paceman Giddins to Powell at square leg.

Alan Richardson accounted for Matthew Rawnsley before Liptrot was run out by a superb throw from Trevor Penney.

Next ball Sheriyar was bowled by Giddins who finished with figures of 4-75.