Second day: Warwickshire lead Gloucestershire by 287 runs with seven second-innings wickets in hand

It will make precious little difference in the grand scheme of things, but Nick Knight deserves to round-off his period at the helm of Warwickshire with victory.

Warwickshire's captain has led from the front throughout his tenure. He has never mentioned the pain of broken bones in his hand, or hidden behind an absentee list that would have driven weaker men to distraction.

Nor has he let the matter of his own form thwart his rapacious run gathering. He has never been at his most fluent this summer - at the age of 35 perhaps he never will be again. Yet he has already recorded eight centuries in all cricket this season, the best by a Warwickshire batsman since Brian Lara managed nine in 1994, and on 77 is well-placed to add to his tally.

Yesterday he underlined his vast contribution to the club he has served so well by accruing his 10,000th Championship run for Warwickshire in record time. Knight reached the milestone in 223 innings, surpassing Rohan Kanhai's record of 227 innings. MJK Smith, in 241, is third. With the introduction of central contracts and the absence of long-serving overseas players, Knight may just be the last man to reach the landmark for the club.

The shot to bring up the record, an elegant cover driven boundary off Steve Kirby, was fitting. Perfectly timed, balanced and placed. Top class batting from a top class professional who has served the team for 11 years. What Warwickshire will do when he and Dougie Brown retire is a worry. Do they still make them like that?

It's asking a great deal for anyone to fill Knight's shoes, but one man who does look as if he is set for a fine career as Warwickshire's opening bat is Ian Westwood.

Yesterday the 23-year-old 'home-grown' left-hander registered his first half-century on home soil with 55. There will be many more. He is a no-frills opening batsman; a grafter, nudger and a compiler. In a team filled with strokemakers, he is just what is required.

It would not be accurate to suggest he lacks flair, however. His drives are pleasing, his cuts rasping, while the delicate late dab to third man with which he brought up his half-century, suggests there is more than a hint of class to add to the solid technique.

Mark Wagh will have to fight for a place in Warwickshire's crowded middle-order on his return next season; the opening slots are taken.

Westwood (108 balls, seven fours) and Knight's (143 balls, ten fours) batting consolidated their side's domination on a one-sided second day. They now lead Gloucestershire by 287 runs with much power to add. Judging by the visitors' first-innings batting performance, they will require intervention from the weather to prevent another heavy loss.

For earlier Gloucestershire displayed the frail batting that has cost them their top division place this season. Warwickshire bowled well as a unit, but this is not a 118-all-out wicket.

That they even managed to post a three-figure score was largely due to debutant Grant Hodnett. The 23-year-old Anglo-South African resisted for 54 overs for his 49 (158 balls, nine fours) showing up his colleagues' relative lack of application in the process.

Brown made the breakthrough in the day's eighth over, Steve Adshead pushing one to point. It was the Scot's 50th first-class wicket of the season (49 in the Championship), the fourth time he has achieved such a milestone in a distinguished career.

Neil Carter, again bowling fast and straight, was an uncomfortable proposition for all the batsmen. He fully deserved his season-best figures and now has 91 wickets in all cricket this season.

Alex Loudon also impressed, relishing the dry pitch and finding sharp turn, although the opposition - should he have any opportunity to bowl at them - in Pakistan will be tougher.

There were wickets too for James Anyon and Naqaash Tahir, who bowled admirably straight. Anyon was the pick of the pair, noticeably finding more movement in the air and off the pitch, but Naqaash at least looked closer to the fine prospect of last year.

Fluent batting by Carter, who made 21 (16 balls, two fours and two sixes) and 37 from Ian Bell (64 balls, seven fours) put Gloucestershire's struggles in perspective.