WORCESTERSHIRE could only watch in awe as Mohammad Yousuf defied a difficult wicket to hit a superb century for Warwickshire in their LV= County Championship Division One clash at Edgbaston.

The ex-Pakistan international made the most of the older ball to reach his 100 off 153 balls — the second 50 coming off just 39 deliveries — hitting 13 fours and one six.

On the opening morning, the school of thought said the winners of the toss would take the match.

With a misbehaving wicket that is only likely to deteriorate throughout the contest, batting last on the pitch will be like playing on a minefield.

So when Warwickshire captain Ian Bell won the toss he had no hesitation in opting to send his team into bat first.

But he couldn’t have envisaged Damien Wright rapping Varun Chopra on his right thumb second ball of the day.

Balls were taking off from just short of a length and the Australian all-rounder got one to soar over returning on-loan wicketkeeper Ben Scott’s head in the third over.

Or they kept incredibly low like the one that trapped Bell lbw for 34 in the 33rd over.

Worcestershire were without injured skipper Daryl Mitchell as Moeen Ali took the captaincy in the interim.

The 23-year-old would have been pleased to see the Bears batsmen jumping and ducking all over the place on the opening morning which was interrupted by showers.

But he will not be relishing his turn at the crease if the pitch continues to play like it did today.

Chopra, who scored a double-century at New Road last month, fell for 16 in the seventh over when he tried to pull Wright but Alan Richardson, running around from fine leg, took the catch on the boundary.

Richardson struck soon after, trapping Will Porterfield lbw for 21, before Warwickshire reached lunch at 59-2 with England stars Bell and Jonathan Trott at the crease.

Trott handed Richardson his second wicket of the day as he pushed forward only to edge behind to Scott for nine before Wright swooped in successive overs.

First, he saw an unplayable delivery keep low on Bell before the Aussie found steep bounce as Darren Maddy edged to Moeen at second slip, leaving the Bears on 99-5.

But Yousuf and Rikki Clarke, who picked off two sixes in one Shaaiq Choudhry over, put together a good century partnership, which may well just be key to this game, as the ball got softer.

Clarke’s fine innings was brought to an end by Gareth Andrew as he found an edge to be caught behind for 56.

Yousuf, though, carried on to put together another good stand with former England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose, before passing his century.

The Bears reached the close on 299-6 with Yousuf unbeaten on 108 and Ambrose 33 not out.

They will be keen to build on an already impressive total tomorrow.