April 2009 Archives

Good morning ladies and gentlemen.

It is warm, cloudy and humid at Edgbaston and the ball might swing this morning.

Considering the way Rankin and Tremlett have made the occasional ball fly and the way that one or two deliveries have kept low, this intriguing match might have a decisive result in it.

Close: Warwickshire 224 for 4 (66 overs). Troughton 100, Ambrose 47.

Troughton reached his century in the final over of the day from 172 balls with 12 fours.

Partnership so far, an excellent 124.

And the lift shaft is now devoid of water. Congratulations to all involved.

Warwickshire 199 for 4 (55 overs). Troughton 92, Ambrose 31.

Troughton's maiden century, against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl in 2002, a glorious unbeaten 131 on a slow pudding of a pitch, was among the best innings I have ever seen.

This will be (notice I said 'will' not 'would'?) his third ton against Hampshire.

Tea: Warwickshire 121 for 4 (40 overs). Troughton 47, Ambrose 0.

Bell, on 29, copped a brute of a lifter from Tremlett, gloved it to first slip and departed wringing his hand in pain.

Ambrose's first ball kept low.

Follow-on figure: 230.

Tea: Warwickshire 94 for 3 (34 overs). Troughton 38, Bell 15.

Watchful work from the fourth-wicket pair as they set about shoring things up they way did they at Taunton last week when the Bears were 66 for 3.

Meanwhile, exciting developments at the back of the Wyatt Stand. The kitchen flooded yesterday and a lot of water accumulated in the lift shaft. Some heroic workmen are evacuating said water from said lift shaft by cunning use of hoses.

Warwickshire 63 for 3 (23 overs). Troughton 22, Bell 4.

Trott, on 22, played a shot that he will not look back upon with affection, loose and airy, and edged Tomlinson then saw Cork take a remarkable catch at first slip. He took an age to move for the ball and we all thought he was asleep but then he stuck out a hand and clutched the fast-travelling sphere when it was almost beyond him.

He celebrated by having a rather charmless exchange, mimicking the Brummie accent and making an unappealing gesture with his body, with a supporter at the City End.

When interviewed, by the way, Cork still occasionally refers to himself in the third person.

Warwickshire 35 for 2 (14 overs). Trott 17 Troughton 4.

The ECB have decreed that Lumb can replace North and the sooner he is here, quite frankly, the better for Warwickshire bearing in mind the way Griffiths has just stuck his oar in.

Bell has not come in at four because he felt a bit queasy in the field this morning but he should be in next.

A pied wagtail has been frolicking on the outfield at the City End throughout today's play.

Warwickshire 13 for 2 (9 overs). Trott 0 Troughton 1.

The first eight overs went nice and smoothly for the Bears but the ninth was a bit of a porridge.

The first ball, from Cork, saw Maddy, on 8, push half-forward and edge to second slip. The fifth saw Trott attempt to get off the mark with a single to extra cover only for Frost, on 4, to be beaten by a direct hit from the substitute fielder, Griffiths.

Two journalists who were square of the wicket at the time (on the way back from their nosebag) thought it wasn't out.

Hampshire 379 all out. Pothas 122 not out.

The last pair added 35 before Tomlinson fended a short ball from Clarke to Maddy at short leg.

The ECB are understood to have sanctioned a replacement for North. Michael Lumb is expected to hotfoot it from Hampshire 2nds' game against Sussex at the Rose Bowl to slot in for the rest of this match.

Hampshire will be happy with 379, having been 183 for 5.

One rather tickly over for Warwickshire to face before lunch. Perhaps two...

...it was two and they were safely negotiated. 4-0. Maddy 4, Frost 0.

Hampshire 351 for 9 (112 overs) Pothas 103, Tomlinson 0.

Balcombe missed a straight one from Rankin and was lbw for 0.

A rather large boost for the Bears' prospects in this match. Marcus North has been called up by Australia with immediate effect and has departed to join up with his national team in Dubai.

So Hampshire are a key man down.