July 2008 Archives

Warwickshire 340 for 3 (92 overs). Trott 82, Troughton 1.

Bell perishes to a catch on the extra-cover boundary off Marshall for 215 from 288 balls with 32 balls. A super innings.

Trott immediately clouts Kirby for four to put the Bears in front. In a fairly ramshackle collective bowling effort, Kirby has stood out and he is still really putting it in on a baking hot day. If his salary demands were a little more reasonable he would make a good signing for Warwickshire.

Warwickshire 322 for 2 (87 overs). Bell 204, Trott 76.

A standing ovation greeted Bell's double-century, his third in first-class cricket, reached with an imperious clip to the mid-wicket boundary off Lewis. It was Bell's 29th four and he immediately added the 30th, skilfully steered to third man. Career-best on the cards here, maybe even a triple century.

On and on goes Bell.

As does the piledriver. Thump, thump thump...

Lunch: Warwickshire 273 for 2 (76 overs). Bell 167, Trott 65.

The Bears scored 130 for 0 in the session. Chanceless batting interspersed with elegant strokes. Bell must be in with a chance of challenging his career best 262 (Horsham 2004) here while Trott has given Gloucestershire little hope at the other end.

John Coleman has been manager of Accrington Stanley for 396 games. Now that's longevity.

Warwickshire 207 for 2 (62 overs). Bell 127, Trott 41.

After a brisk start to the day, the scoring has become a bit more sedate as Warwickshire aim to build a big enough total to only have to bat once in the match - almost certainly the only way this contest will yield a positive result after the rain-damage on the first day.

Bell posted the 200 with a glorious on-driven four off Wigley.

Largely soporific stuff in the hot sun, conducted to a backdrop of constant thump, thump, thump of a piledriver on the building site over the road. Thump, thump, thump, it is going, thump, thump, thump. "It's even getting through my wax," said one member of the media.

Warwickshire 162 for 2 (50 overs). Bell 103, Trott 20.

The Bears were fast out of the blocks this morning with Trott punishing some loose stuff from Harris and Bell reaching his 22nd first-class century - and first for Warwickshire since April 2005 - from 148 balls with 15 fours.

Strangely, it is only Bell's fifth century at Edgbaston.

The nation will be relieved to learn that the journalist whose earwax problems featured on this blog last week has an appointment with a specialist on Thursday.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It is a gorgeous sunny day, the Edgbaston greensward is looking immaculate, we have got the crass pre-play barrage of adverts from the public address system out of the way and are set for what should be an excellent day's cricket.

Bell batted beautifully yesterday. Can he carry on this morning and afternoon. And, most enticingly, will Chris Martin reach the crease for the first time for Warwickshire?