Warwickshire scored their second-highest total in history, putting Durham under pressure in their Vitality County Championship Division One match at Edgbaston.
Led by Alex Davies' maiden double-century, the home side declared at 698 for three. Durham now needs 549 runs to avoid the follow-on.
On the second day, the visitors finished on 178 for three. Alex Lees led the resistance with an unbeaten 94 off 171 balls. However, there is still a lot of work to be done to dig his side out of trouble.
Warwickshire captain Davies scored 256 runs from 311 balls. Rob Yates, who scored a glittering 191 on the first day, Will Rhodes, who scored 178 not out from 234 balls, and Dan Mousley, who scored an unbeaten 55 from 53 balls, also had a good innings.
Newly promoted Durham has made a bracing return to Division One. Their scheduled opening game against Hampshire at home was washed out without a ball bowled. During his debut, Callum Parkinson had the most expensive analysis by a Durham bowler in first-class cricket, taking two wickets for 206 runs. Additionally, three of his teammates also conceded over 100 runs.
On the second morning, Warwickshire resumed at 490 for one and spent the morning dominating a resigned-looking Durham attack. Scott Boland, the Australian overseas signing, bowled 13 overs on the first day but, nursing a heel injury, did not take the field for treatment.
Davies advanced relentlessly before being bowled by Parkinson after 445 minutes at the crease. He hit 28 fours and three sixes during his innings.
Parkinson then took another wicket, bowling Ed Barnard with a beautiful delivery. However, the theme of batting domination was soon restored. Mousley hit his third ball for six into the crowd at the City End and joined forces with Rhodes to add an unbroken 132 runs in 22 overs before the declaration arrived half an hour into the afternoon session.
Although the pitch offered little to the bowlers, Warwickshire's seamers managed to produce two superb deliveries in nine balls after Durham had eased to 42 without loss. Scott Borthwick edged a lifter from Olly Hannon Dalby and Colin Ackermann nicked an outswinger from Craig Miles.
Lees and David Bedingham added 94 runs in 25 overs before off-spinner Yates, given his longest spell in first-class cricket so far, had Bedingham (49, 70) caught at short mid-wicket. Lees' concentration remained absolute, and with Ollie Robinson, he saw out the last 16 overs of the day. However, Durham is still at the foothills of the mountain they have to climb, as Lees closed the day on 9,998 first-class runs.