WORCESTERSHIRE'S bowlers got the County back in the match at Edgbaston after they were bowled out for 249.

The new-look seam attack of Kabir Ali, Simon Jones and Steve Magoffin took a wicket apiece as Warwickshire closed on 39 for three on the first day of the opening match of the LV County Championship Division Two season.

The New Road batsmen had been fairly disappointing and, had it not been for Stephen Moore carrying his bat and hitting his eighth career first class century, Worcestershire really would have been in dire straits.

Skipper Vikram Solanki said: "We are pretty happy with the way that we played.

"We were a little loose at the top of the innings but Stephen Moore played fantastically well to carry his bat. The bowlers did a good job and we were pleased to have them three down at the close.

"Obviously it would have been nice to have got 250 for the batting point. There is still a lot of cricket to played and I wouldn't say either side has got their noses in front."

The New Road side will have felt they were at least 100 runs short of what should have been a decent first innings total. In a disappointing batting display, only Moore put up any resistance to the Bears bowlers.

He may have been painstakingly slow at times but perhaps some of his colleagues might like to take a leaf out of the South African-born opener's book.

Solanki, Ben Smith, Graeme Hick and Steven Davies all got off the mark with a boundary but all four were guilty of giving away their wicket.

Gareth Batty spent more time walking to and from the pavilion as he was trapped leg before first ball, while Daryl Mitchell and Gareth Andrew also failed with the bat.

Australian Magoffin shared the biggest partnership of the day - 58 - but ran himself out going for a run that wasn't there and Jones went without scoring.

Kabir made the perfect start for the Worcestershire bowlers, trapping Ian Westwood third ball of the innings for zero.

Jones then had Darren Maddy caught behind in his first over, before Magoffin forced Michael Powell (29) to play on to the top of off stump.