April 2009 Archives

Warwickshire 534 for 6 (137 overs). Clarke 55, Botha 21.

Clarke clobbered 50 from 48 balls with 11 fours and some of those fours were the equal of any strokes in this game. Amazing timing.

A cacophony of hooting beyond the Pavilion End. The pied wagtail is flitting perkily, almost gloatingly, around Michael Lumb at long leg.

Carberry is bowling his 14th over. Having been in the field for 137 overs, and counting, he and Adams will be weary when they head out to open the batting at some point this evening.

Tea: Warwickshire 491 for 6 (130 overs). Clarke 24, Botha 9.

A merry hour after tea, perhaps, then get 'em in.

Shame there is no Anyon to come in and bat like Len Hutton and provide a late flurry.

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Warwickshire 476 for 6 (124 overs). Clarke 18, Botha 0.

Troughton drives somewhat wearily at Carberry and edges to Cork (who has been rather less voluble today) at slip to depart for 223 from 342 balls with 23 fours and four sixes.

A wicket-maiden for Carberry.

Warwickshire 469 for 5 (122 overs). Troughton 221, Clarke 13.

Troughton and Ambrose added 335 in 81 overs, displacing Messrs Lara and Piper from the record books, before Ambrose inside-edged Adams on to his pad and the ball trickled on to the stumps.

Ambrose hit 153 from 240 balls with 17 fours and his body language when he got out suggested he had fancied quite a few more.

Tremlett has just got a delivery to rear past Clarke's outside-edge. This is no shirt-front.

Warwickshire 438 for 4 (116 overs). Troughton 208, Ambrose 148.

The partnership reached 300 from 73 overs. Troughton was very patient on 199, just as he was on 99, then socked his 20th four to reach 200 from 319 balls with four sixes.

Three books that everybody should read at some point in their life:

'Three Men In A Boat' by Jerome K Jerome. Simply the greatest work of all time.

'The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin' by David Nobbs. Puts the absurdities of life in such brilliant perspective.

'Past Imperfect - The History Of Lincoln City' by Brian Halford. Amaze your friends with little-known facts about the world's biggest football club.

Warwickshire 388 for 4 (105 overs). Troughton 178, Ambrose 128.

The batsmen continue to stroke ball around with aplomb. Troughton has his career-best and the partnership has passed 250.

These two could dislodge a very famous partnership from the record books - Warwickshire's all-time fifth-wicket record: 322 by Lara and Piper against Durham in 1994.

Quite a lot of noise from the fielding side: "Come on boys," "Good energy, Potto," but all pretty superficial.

At 2pm, Dawson bowled his first over of the day. Troughton swept the second ball for six and the over cost 18.

Much honking of Canada Geese from beyond the Pavilion End.

Lunch. Warwickshire 342 for 4 (98 overs). Troughton 154, Ambrose 107.

This is Troughton's 15th first-class century but, strangely, only the second time he has gone on to 150. His career-best 162 is clearly in his sights. Ambrose had batted solidly and with ferocious disposal of the bad ball. A bit like a little white Gordon Greenidge.

With the sun out, batting conditions have eased but Hampshire have been a little disappointing with the ball and bafflingly reluctant to use the spin of Dawson.

Next objective for Warwickshire: To pile on enough runs to put Hampshire under a bit of scoreboard pressure later today and tomorrow.

The pied wagtail is again frolicking on the outfield at the City End. It has just flitted 12.5 yards in the direction of the Wyatt Stand. Lovely.

But is it lonely?

Or are pied wagtails solitary creatures by nature?

Warwickshire 309 for 4 (88 overs). Troughton 140, Ambrose 88.

Fine batting by this pair, untroubled by the new ball. Ambrose particularly severe on any loose offerings.

The partnership is now 189, already a Warwickshire fifth-wicket record against Hampshire, surpassing the 178 by Abberley and Rouse at Bournemouth in 1976.

Warwickshire 260 for 4 (75 overs). Troughton 121, Ambrose 59.

The sun came out almost the moment play began. During this match, batting conditions have become easier or harder to a much more dramatic degree than usual, depending on whether the sun is out.

Ambrose reached an assured half-century from 86 balls with seven fours.

No alarms for the batsmen so far this morning. An exquisite cover-driven four and a deliberate slash over the slips from Troughton.

When Hampshire beat Warwickshire by 290 runs at Nuneaton in 1979 (the Bears, chasing 360, were all out for 90). Malcolm Marshall's match figures were 23-12-22-2.

Reinforcements, twirl-wise, are on the way.

Jeetan Patel has been told this morning by the bureaucrats down under that his paperwork and visa are all in order and his passport will be couriered back to him from Canberra to his home in Wellington "immediately".

As soon as his passport arrives back in his possession, he will travel to England so he should be on a plane next Monday or Tuesday, arrive in Birmingham on Tuesday or Wednesday and make his Warwickshire debut against Scotland in the FPL on Sunday week.

Which is just as well because a large proportion of the Bears squad will be injured or on England Lions duty that day.