JONATHAN Trott scored an unbeaten century to put Warwickshire in a strong position on 297-5 after the opening day of their day/night Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Durham.

The 37-year-old displayed patience at the crease to score his second hundred of the season at Emirates Riverside after previously reaching three figures in Warwickshire's Royal London One-Day Cup victory in the North-East.

Matt Salisbury led the way for Durham with the ball, taking three wickets. However, it was a frustrating day in the field for the home side, who have plenty of work ahead of them to get back into the match.

Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bat first against the Dukes pink ball. Salisbury continued to impress at the top of the innings for the home side, notching the wicket of Will Rhodes after the opener edged to Tom Latham at the second slip.

Ian Bell came to the crease having made three centuries in his last four first-class innings. He scored three boundaries with relative ease, although he was out going for another drive to the fence, drilling his effort straight at Cameron Steel at backward point off Salisbury for 23.

Trott brought a sense of calm to the innings as he and Dominic Sibley ensured that there were no further dismissals before the first break. However, four deliveries after the restart Sibley was pinned lbw by Rushworth for 27, missing a straight delivery. Trott used his experience to frustrate the Durham bowlers, displaying patience and nous in his innings.

There were problems at the other end as Adam Hose survived an inside edge off Salisbury by millimetres. The bowler returned in the following over to remove Hose, who top edged a rising delivery and Ryan Davies did brilliantly racing back towards the fine leg boundary to make the catch.

Tim Ambrose survived an lbw appeal from Nathan Rimmington early in his innings. He provided assistance for Trott, who reached his fifty off 94 deliveries, surpassing the milestone with a nudge down to the third man boundary. Together the duo were able to manipulate the softening pink ball around the outfield to reach their fifty partnership.

As Durham's bowlers began to wear down, Trott and Ambrose increased the intensity of the visitors' innings. Their 100 partnership arrived after 179 deliveries, while both batsmen closed in on landmarks at the crease. Ambrose reached his 50 first in 112 balls with a gentle nudge into the offside before the new ball.

Ambrose received another life as he edged a delivery just past his stumps before Trott notched his century. He caressed a full ball from Rushworth through the covers to score his 45th first-class hundred, reaching the milestone in 187 balls.

Ambrose was dropped by Collingwood off Rushworth on 67, but it proved not to be costly as the wicketkeeper clipped a leg glance to Gareth Harte, ending the 135-run partnership. Salisbury could have ended the day with a fourth scalp, only for Latham to drop Keith Barker at second slip, which allowed the visitors to end the day five down.