SHANE WARNE has stepped up the pressure on Lancashire by promising to make a decision about next season "within three weeks."

Notts and Northants have made offers to an agent representing Warne this week while Sussex have already tabled a six figure bid.

Although Lancashire are believed to have spoken to Warne at both the Trent Bridge and Oval Tests, they insisted that no offer would be made until Wasim Akram has seen another specialist about his shoulder injury tomorrow.

So with Warne saying that he is "already 95 per cent sure" of coming to England next summer, Lancashire appear to be fading out of the picture.

"The next step for us is to wait for the report on Wasim's shoulder. He remains our contracted player and nothing would give us greater pleasure than to have him playing for us next year," said John Brewer today. Lancashire were facing a tough battle today after Yorkshire established a strong platform of 247-3 on the first day of the Roses match.

And Chris Silverwood helped push the Yorkshire total to 311-4 with 47 not out today after Darren Lehmann fell for 40.

Their captain David Byas chose to bat on a good pitch and although Lancashire's bowlers stuck to their task, they found wickets hard to come by.

Gary Yates made the first breakthrough in his third over, having Anthony McGrath caught at mid-on, but after that Byas and Michael Vaughan put on 147 for the second wicket.

Vaughan, born in Manchester before moving to Sheffield as a youngster, hit 105, his first Roses Century, before being bowled off his pads by Jason Gallian late in the day while Byas cruised to 61 until he drove Richard Green to mid-off.

Green was the pick of the Lancashire attack on his second championship appearance of the season, conceding only 31 runs in 15 overs.

Yorkshire had been rocked before the start by the surprise withdrawal of Darren Gough.

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