June 2008 Archives

Warwickshire 160 for 4 (43.1 overs). Troughton 0, Frost 0.

Powell tries to lifts Gillespie into the huge, roped-off, totally empty, atmosphere-killing stand at mid-wicket but the ball falls short and Watkins judges a difficult catch perfectly. Fine 55 from Powell though.

Three balls later, Trott cuts Croft too fine - and is caught at slip by Hemp for 23.

23 needed from 6.5 overs.

Still easy peasy. Have no fear.

Warwickshire 153 for 2 (41 overs). Powell 50, Trott 21.

30 off 9 overs.

Powell tried to lift Croft over mid-wicket for six and the total went up by two byes behind the wicket-keeper. He had better luck with a staight smite and a pull for successive fours off Gillespie to move to an excellent 50.

Is this the first match in Warwickshire's long history in which every one of their top seven has contained the letter O?

And have the Bears ever fielded a top four including no less than six O's.

Warwickshire 136 for 2 (16 overs). Powell 42, Trott 15.

Few alarms against the spinners so Glamorgan have brought back Gillespie - the last throw of the dice.

47 needed from 14. Nice n'easy.

The shadows are lengthening across the vivid green of the outfield. I wonder if, many years from now, even 100, 120 years, cricket enthusiasts will leaf through old, yellowing Wisdens and come across this match and say: "Ah, that looks like a jolly compact team performance from Warwickshire".

Warwickshire 111 for 2 (29 overs). Powell 31, Trott 1.

Westwood misses a sweep at Dalrymple and is lbw for 58.

Still, eight wickets in hand. 72 needed from 21 overs.

Piece of cake.

Isn't it?

Warwickshire 81 for 1 (22 overs). Westwood 48, Powell 12.

Captain and former captain doing a sound job.

Chris Martin's work permit has been approved by the Home Office. All that remains is for him to travel to Paris and back tomorrow to fulfil the bizarre requirements of the bureaucrats, as outlined in an earlier post.

The Kiwi is booked on a flight from Birmingham to Paris just after 1pm tomorrow - and a flight back just after 4pm!

Just time to get to the Pere Lachaise and pay homage to Jim Morrison, perhaps.

Tea: Warwickshire 45 for 1 (15 overs). Westwood 22, Powell 4.

Croft starts the final session from the River End.

138 off 35.

Cake.

Warwickshire 37 for 1 (11 overs). Westwood 18, Powell 0.

Poonia plays across a middle-stump yorker from Wharf and his bails fly.

Powell, on a recent run of 0 and 0, survives his first two balls.

Warwickshire 24 for 0 (6 overs). Westwood 10, Poonia 12.

A solid start. Westwood looking confident, Poonia less convincing, especially against Gillespie.

Let's hear it for Tree Preservation Orders. They prevented Glamorgan from felling the trees at the River End which provide an attractive contrast to the ground's three other sides, all dominated by masses of drab, blue, empty seats.

Bears need 159 from 44.

Cake. Piece of.

Glamorgan 355 all out.

Croft leaned back and slapped a short ball from Woakes high in the air to provide Powell with a simple catch at mid-off.

Woakes finishes with 5 for 59, a richly-deserved maiden 'five-for'. It was good, tight pressure bowling. Plenty of his good deliveries, notably some nifty yorkers, did not get wickets.

Warwickshire require 183 in 50 overs to move 16 points clear at the top.

Glamorgan 353 for 9. Croft 23, Harrison 3.

A fourth wicket for Woakes and fully-deserved reward for a mature and wholehearted performance by the 19-year-old as Gillespie, having become bogged down, drives expansively and Botha takes a terrific catch, far to his right, at second slip. Gillespie goes for 52.

Harrison will have a go so suddenly the Bears are tantalisingly close to an attractive target in the region of 180 in 50.