May 2009 Archives

Warwickshire's squad landed safely at Heathrow this afternoon, albeit two hours late due to a baggage-handling problem at Edinburgh Airport.

There was drama at the hotel this morning when it emerged that Bears scorer David Wainwright had had breakfast.

Not just A breakfast. The breakfast. First he polished off all the fruit and cereal then moved on to the twelve loaves of toast. Then he polished off all the fried breakfasts and a cauldron full of scrambled eggs and 20 kippers and finally all the pastries, leaving the entire serving area picked clean.

The hotel, a four-star joint, had to send out for emergency supplies.

Have popped into Lord's to see if Somerset can do Warwickshire a favour by beating Middlesex. Not looking good at the moment. Rain has just stopped play with Somerset behind on the D/L.

The old ground is looking as magnificent as ever, even on a grey, blustery, chilly, drizzly day. Only the Pavilion and Mound Stand are open but there is a decent gathering in those.

What a glorious, historic old place. Memories are evoked of the Bears' championship visit here in 1966 when Middlesex, chasing 194 were hanging on thrillingly at the end on 173 for 9 after Rudi Webster took five.

If Somerset beat Middlesex tomorrow Warwickshire only need to beat Kent on Wednesday to qualify for the FPT quarter-finals. If Middlesex beat Somerset, however, Warwickshire need to beat them at Lord's on Monday and then Kent.

Straight after today's workmanlike win over mediocre opposition Ashley Giles spoke to Warwickshire's players in the dressing-room for half-an-hour. It was not a traditional old football-type dressing-room lock-in (although a couple of Grange employees who popped in to see if they could start clearing up came out again pretty sharpish) but some areas of concerns were addressed, high among them failure to properly utilise power-plays.

Carter is fit to face Middlesex on Monday but Barker does not deserved to be dropped.

The Grange is a very hospitable venue, staffed by lovely people and the home supporters in the small crowd (a lot of Bears fans had made the trip) clearly really love their cricket, all the more endearingly so because the vast majority of people in Edinburgh clearly don't.

Finally, a Birmingham Mail Cricket Blog Quiz Question:
Addressing the media after today's game Ashley Giles compared Jim Troughton and Ian Westwood to which kind of four-legged mammal?

RAIN STOPPED PLAY. Scotland 172 for 7 (40 overs). Wright 27, Drummond 1.

Botha has taken three wickets and Patel one, allied by fine catches by Rankin, Ambrose and Trott, to leave Scotland lagging behind the clock.

Cold and grey.

Very cold, in fact.

If they don't get back on, Warwickshire win comfortably on D/L.

Scotland 93 for 2 (24 overs). Hamilton 27, Borgas 18.

Watson attempted to smite Barker over the castle and was bowled for 17.

The game is still quite even though Scotland don't bat far down so one or two more wickets should do the job for the Bears. Patel and Botha have conceded 17 in six overs.

There is a very handsome and impressive memorial here to the 30 members of the The Grange Cricket Club who lost their lives in the First World War. Just one component of a very pleasant tree-lined venue staffed by friendly people who are real cricket enthusiasts in this cricketing outpost.

Scotland 63 for 1 (11 overs). Hamilton 16, Watson 16.

Watts took advantage of some loose fare from Rankin to race to 20 but then drove back a sharp return catch to Woakes.

Woakes has beaten Hamilton outside off -stump five times with excellent deliveries but went for 10 in his most recent over.

Scotland will be very happy with their start. The weather has brightened but if it was to close in again now Scotland would be in command D/L-wise.

Warwickshire 242 for 6 (50 overs).

Botha (37 not out, 28 balls) and Barker (30 not out, 30 balls) added a much-needed 78 from the last ten overs.

The last over alone changed the whole mood of the match. Drummond, who bowled nine excellent overs from the Pavilion End for 30, was switched to the Pink Bus End for the last over and went for another 26. Botha struck the first three balls for handsome fours and the sixth for six. There was also a no-ball that went for four so Scotland trudged off with much of their good work in the field undone by the last four minutes.

Cold and grey.

Warwickshire 146 for 3 (37 overs). Troughton 66, Westwood 21.

Scotland have bowled very tidily on a pitch which has few demons but on which strokeplay is difficult. Ambrose, like Bell before him, was frustrated into attacking an inappropriate ball and, on 19, lifted Stander to long leg.

Troughton has knuckled down through a spell when he lost fluency to give the innings a much-needed answer. His 50 came from 93 balls with four fours.

Ten runs from the last three overs.

"Stead but unspectacular progress from Warwickshire," says Clive, who adds that the swans on the adjacent lake are looking majestic.

Warwickshire 69 for 2 (20 overs). Troughton 32, Ambrose 6.

Bell (28 from 43 balls) appeared to be bedding in perfectly when he chose the wrong ball from Wright to try and lift straight and sent up a catch to mid-off.

Scotland's medium-pacers have bowled well. Troughton started fluently but has slowed against accurate bowling. Ambrose has played the shot of the day so far, a glorious cover drive.

A seagull has been circling the ground for an hour, evidently looking for a black Ka to leave a deposit on. It doesn't know it's been left at Edgbaston.

Warwickshire 35 for 1 (10 overs). Bell 18, Troughton 15.

Trott, drawn into playing away from his body, edged Wright to second slip for 1 in the second over.

It is a good batting pitch. The Bears should be looking for 280-plus.

Sun breaking through. Tiny crowd.

Broadcasting legend Clive Eykyn and I, sitting here in the pavilion, have just given the spectators round us a good laugh when it became evident that the commentary we had been putting our heart and soul into for 45 minutes was, in fact, going out to no-one and had only been heard by the spectators round us.

It is grey but breezy and dry and play will start on time. Scotland have won the toss and will bowl. Warwickshire field an unchanged team.