August 2008 Archives

Warwickshire 18 for 1 (8 overs). Maddy 8, Frost 1.

Westwood was lured into a drive by expectant father Wagg and edged to potential Bears target Rikki Clarke at second slip to perish for five and bring in Frost at the elevated position of three in the order.

Maddy edged Wagg just beyond Clarke in the cordon to the boundary to get off the mark after 33 minutes. The Bears have chosen to bat in tricky conditions here but, if they get through with little damage, the pitch looks a decent one on which to build a hefty total.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

Warwickshire have won the toss and will bat on a gloomy, cloudy morning.

The Bears team: Westwood, Maddy, Trott, Troughton, Ambrose, Frost, Botha, Salisbury, Woakes, Martin, Rankin - none of whom, I understand, attended Rotherham 0 Wolves 0 (aet) in a near-deserted Don Valley Stadium last night.

Lucky b*******s.

The sound of electric saws is drifting across the ground from behind the Pavilion End.

With Warwickshire's fortunes fading, comparisons are being drawn with their collapse in the second half of 2007 but, interviewed yesterday by George from the Post and myself, Ashley Giles asserted that the Bears' loss of momentum this season is "a different sort of fading" to last year. He is right, of course. This time last year the Bears had been well and truly stuffed at Scarborough and looked a dispirited rabble. This time round, they are second in the championship, still unbeaten in four-day cricket and look what they are - a work in progress which over-achieved early in the summer and is far from a world-beating unit but, in first-class cricket, fights hard and digs in even when second best over a number of sessions.

This morning, I found myself reflecting on another difference from last year. Twelve months ago, notwithstanding the bizarre loyalty of Neil Houghton and John Claughton (stemming from their crass refusal to admit to a terrible mistake) Mark Greatbatch was, in job terms, a dead man walking while George and I went quietly, diligently about our work. A year on, Ashley's job is secure. The director of cricket is here to stay. But, as has become widely known, the Post & Mail cricket reporters find themelves operating under the Sword of Damocles.

Funny old game. Not funny in a side-splittingly humorous sort of way, though.

Warwickshire 191 for 7 (35 overs). Groenewald 0, Salisbury 0.

Speedway - does anybody ever overtake?

Dernbach has just come back on and removed Botha and Trott (for 92 from 99 balls) in three balls in an over which cost just one run.

The canal network of the UK is one of this country's treasures, perhaps its second greatest treasure behind the library service which is simply brilliant and should be preserved and invested in at all costs.

Warwickshire 149 for 4 (27 overs) Trott 72, Westwood 6.

Trott, as he often has this season, is battling on despite partners perishing in careless fashion. Maddy and Ambrose both lifted innocuous deliveries high to fielders on the leg-side boundary. Ambrose, in need of a confidence-booster, leaned on his bat for several seconds in disbelief at having picked out deep long-leg with a sweep.

The run-chase, the match, the Bears' promotion-bid and the future of the entire world are right back in the balance.

Surrey 103 for 2 (17 overs). Trott 50, Maddy 0.

Trott and Troughton added 98 in 16 overs with some comfort, not least against some modest fare from debutant Hodgson and returning loanee Tudor. Rather a lot of four-balls have been delivered in this contest.

Wicket-keeper Jon Batty, attempting to prevent a leg-bye, has just thrown his left glove high in the air. Quite an exciting moment.

Trott reached 50 from 53 balls then Troughton, on 41 from 47, was stumped off the very next ball from Afzaal.

The light is poor as the clouds thicken.

Warwickshire 43 for 1 (8 overs). Trott 16, Troughton 21.

Carter's poor day was completed when he lifted the fifth ball of the innings, from Collins, to point and perished for one. Trott and Troughton are batted solidly though, albeit with one or two hairy moments running-wise.

Successive fours by Trott off Dernbach have just brought the required run-rate down to virtually a run a ball.

I am eating a rice cake.

Surrey 238 for 5 (40 overs). Ramprakash not out 54 (45 balls). Spriegel not out 40 (30 balls).

About a par total in the end after a topsy-turvy innings in which the Bears spinners again showed how effective they can be and the seamers showed how expensive they can be.

Salisbury and Botha (combined 3 for 57 in 16 overs) bowled superbly mid-innings but before they started and after they finished some heavy stick was handed out. Carter went for 17 from his first over, Groenewald went for 21 off one near the end and Trott was clubbed for successive sixes by Spriegel as 80 came from eight overs after the spinners closed their stints.

Groenewald and Trott were both brought back into the firing line late on but Maddy, who can be quite effective at times, did not bowl himself.

Surrey 145 for 3 (28 overs). Afzaal 15, Ramprakash 5.

Botha and Salisbury have done exactly the required job. Salisbury has teased and flighted beautifully although it was with a rank long hop that he dismissed Benning who pulled staight to Botha at mid-wicket to depart for 74 from 79 balls.

Botha has bowled extremely well, flat and accurate, and should have had Benning stumped down the leg side on 63 and could have dismissed Afzaal, on 12, but Salisbury dropped a difficult chance at extra cover.

Ramprakash, batting at Edgbaston for the first time since completing 100 100s, received a warm ovation as he ventured out into the teeth of his devastating spin-storm.

Surrey 105 for 1 (17 overs). Benning 58, Walters 24.

These two batsmen added 50 in ten overs and Warwickshire turned to spin for the 17th and 18th overs, delivered by Salisbury and Botha. They need the spinners to rein in the runs the way they did so often so effectively earlier in the season.

There's a good crowd in. Makes one think that in years to come spectators might appreciate something a bit more substantial than Twenty20 on a nice summer Sunday afternoon.