Warwickshire 254 and 40 for 1 need a further 458 to beat Hampshire 298 and 453 for 6 dec (Vince 166*, Dawson 120, Hannon-Dalby 3-65)

James Vince and Liam Dawson harvested merciless centuries as Hampshire piled pressure on Warwickshire on the third day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.

Vince scored an unbeaten 166 off 197 balls, his 29th first-class century, and Dawson 120 (157 balls), his 15th, in a sixth-wicket partnership of 255 in 53 overs as the visitors amassed 453 for 6 declared.

That set the home side a victory target of 498 in a day and 12 overs and Warwickshire reached 40 for 1 by the close. Both teams will enter the final day with a chance of victory, but a draw is much the likeliest outcome on a pitch that is flattening out by the hour.

It remains to be seen whether Hampshire's pragmatic approach on the third day proves successful. They plumped for steady accumulation, only very belatedly showing some aggression after tea when Vince and Dawson were each past 100. That policy of attrition may well transpire to have asked too much of their bowlers to force victory in such batter-friendly conditions.

When Hampshire resumed on 88 for 2, Nick Gubbins and Felix Organ took no risks. They extended their partnership to 50 in 19 overs before Gubbins, having struck just three fours in 202 minutes, edged Danny Briggs to slip.

Vince lifted his second ball, from former team-mate Briggs, over long-on for six, but thereafter the pattern of defending and nurdling resumed and continued throughout a turgid morning. Organ's stubborn defiance ended when he was slickly caught at point by diving substitute Che Simmons off Olly Hannon-Dalby.

The former Yorkshire seamer then trapped Ben Brown lbw and at 184 for 5 further quick wickets would have left Warwickshire scenting their first Championship victory of the season, but Vince and Dawson took full advantage of the easing conditions. They batted through the afternoon for 139 runs in 34 overs, Vince reaching his first century of the season from 185 balls, against an attack which persevered nobly but impotently.

When, deep into the last session, the lead passed 450 a declaration appeared overdue, but Vince and Dawson stayed to turned the screw on a tiring attack under the broiling Birmingham sun. They passed Hampshire's previous highest sixth-wicket stand against Warwickshire - 251 by Phil Mead and Jack Newman at Bournemouth in 1928 - before Dawson swung Dan Mousley to deep midwicket where Will Rhodes judged the catch well. After James Fuller raised the 450 with the sixth six of the innings, over long-off off Jake Bethell, the declaration at last arrived.

Hampshire had 12 overs to get into Warwickshire's top order and they struck an important blow in the ninth of them when Kyle Abbott's first ball trapped Alex Davies lbw. The home side have a lot of batting to do to get safe on the final day - but very favourable conditions in which to do it.