LANCASHIRE were made to toil away on the opening day of the LV County Championship at Edgbaston yesterday.

Warwickshire batsman Jim Troughton lived up to his pre-season pledge to do things his way by plundering a glorious century as the Red Rose county struggled on a pitch offering little for bowlers.

Left-hander Troughton was dropped for the second half of last season but used a rare winter at home to think about his game.

Troughton decided he had curbed his natural attacking instincts and needed to revert to the approach which brought him six England one-day caps in 2003.

His change of tactics paid off as he took advantage of a flat pitch and helped Warwickshire end on 337-5.

Troughton struck 14 fours and an on-driven six off Gary Keedy in an elegant 182-ball century and progressed from 84 to three figures by taking four boundaries in five deliveries from Glen Chapple.

It was the 11th first-class century of Troughton's career, but his first since last May.

His innings ended in disappointing fashion two balls later when Chapple uprooted his middle stump with a perfect yorker, but Warwickshire ended the opening day on top.

Troughton shared a third wicket stand of 101 with Darren Maddy who set the tone for the day with a confident 71 on his Warwickshire debut.

Maddy pulled and straight drove impressively and launched the innings with an opening stand of 79 with Ian Westwood.

The left-handed Westwood perished for a gutsy 33 when he cut Keedy's fifth ball to slip and Jonathan Trott followed four balls later when he edged Oliver Newby to the diving Stuart Law at second slip.

But Maddy and Troughton then took control in an entertaining stand.