Neil Dexter hit 90 for Middlesex. Photo: Anthony Devlin/PA

Neil Dexter was closing in on his second County Championship half-century of the season as Middlesex maintained the upper hand on the third day against league leaders Warwickshire.

Dexter kept his head in the final session at Uxbridge to finish on 45 not out as the home side closed 182 ahead in their second innings, leaving open the possibility of a contrived run chase on Saturday.

Resuming on 178-2, Warwickshire never showed any intent to force the pace and captain Jim Troughton failed to add to his overnight score of 60 in the opening 20 minutes before he edged Gareth Berg behind.

An off-drive for two took Ian Westwood to his ton from 270 balls, but the centurion became Tim Murtagh’s third victim when he was caught in the slips by Dawid Malan.

Middlesex also got rid of Darren Maddy (21), who slashed Steven Crook to deep point, as Warwickshire laboured to 251-5 at lunch – but the sixth wicket that would have earned the home side an extra bonus point proved elusive.

Frustratingly, it came just five balls after the cut-off mark as Murtagh (4-77) had Tim Ambrose (40) and Rikki Clarke (11) soon followed off Neil Dexter, both to sharp slip catches.

Dexter (2-16) also had Jeetan Patel (6) caught behind, but Middlesex were held up by a ninth-wicket stand of 29 as Chris Woakes (27 not out) and Chris Wright rode their luck to take the visitors past 300.

Berg eventually made the breakthrough, yorking Wright for 13 and last man Boyd Rankin (0) holed out to Malan in the deep as Warwickshire were bowled out for 324, a deficit of 78.

Joe Denly (16) took an aggressive approach with four boundaries at the start of Middlesex’s second innings but, when he tried to repeat the last of them, a pull shot off Chris Wright, he was caught down the leg side.

Chris Rogers grafted for 13 off 41 deliveries before he was out lbw to Maddy, and Malan (15) produced some classy shots before prodding Patel to second slip.

But Dexter looked composed at the crease, although he and Eoin Morgan (7 not out) dropped anchor in the closing overs as Middlesex ended the day on 104-3.