Report: Warwickshire vs Worcestershire, Rothesay County Championship

Day Four

Warwickshire pulled off the third biggest run-chase in their history to record a sensational five-wicket Rothesay County Championship victory over Worcestershire at Edgbaston.

Second best for the first three days, on the fourth, Warwickshire chased down a target of 393, reaching 396 for five thanks to Zen Malik (142 from 222 balls), Beau Webster (100 not out, 166), Dan Mousley (69, 107) and Kai Smith (48 not out, 40). As the sun came out for the first time in the match and batting conditions eased, they delivered a remarkable recovery from 12 for two the previous evening. 

Malik unfurled a high-class career-best while Australian all-rounder Webster, in control from his first ball faced, was just as pivotal to the triumph. It was a real heartbreaker for Worcestershire as a victory which would have galvanised their survival fight turned into a defeat which shunts them to the brink of Division Two.

Twenty-three days earlier at Southampton, Worcestershire needed to take seven Hampshire wickets on the last day and took only one. This time they need to take eight and found just three. That inability to close out winning positions will almost certainly cost them their First Division status. 

Warwickshire resumed on the final morning on 55 for two and, to their delight, the thick cloud that sat over Edgbaston for the first three days had departed. Batting was much at its easiest all game and Mousley and Malik applied themselves diligently to deny the visitors early impetus from a wicket.

Mousley, recalled to the championship side due to Sam Hain’s paternity leave, reached 50 from 89 balls and a long overdue maiden championship century beckoned when he reverse-swept Bertie Foreman to short third man.

Malik chugged on with immaculate concentration while Webster restrained his attacking instincts to launch another productive partnership. When Malik struck Foreman for ten in two balls to take the total halfway to the target, the home crowd’s thoughts started to turn towards an unlikely win.

Malik reached his second first-class century (156 balls) with a six over the well-peppered short Hollies-side boundary. Webster followed to his half-century from 103 balls and Warwickshire went into tea on 267 for three, needing 126 from 35 overs.

Malik skied Ethan Brookes to long on but left with his side firmly on course for victory. Ed Barnard edged Tom Taylor behind in the first over with the new ball, but Smith joined Webster to work the ball astutely around the big field to add an unbroken 84 in 11.2 overs.

The unlikeliest of victories ultimately arrived with great comfort with 82 balls to spare, and Warwickshire’s exhilaration was as great as Worcestershire’s desolation.

Warwickshire batter Zen Malik said:

“It was a tough three days leading up to this but the session we had with the ball yesterday set us up for today. Worcestershire played brilliantly to get on top in the first two and a half three days but in four-day cricket, if you stick in there and stick to your plans, you never know.

“393 is a big target so we didn’t want to go out there and be too positive, we just tried to break it down into sessions and hours and even overs, and naturally with the way that we play we scored at a decent rate. We paced it well and set it up really nicely for Beau and Kai to finish it off the last session.

“I felt really good out there. The first innings was tricky and I felt a little bit out of rhythm but I just tried to simplify things going into the second innings. I hit a couple of good boundaries in the short time I batted last night and was really happy to take that momentum into today.

“It was brilliant out there batting with Beau. He always plays with positivity and freedom regardless of the situation, so to be at the other end was really good. The situation never fazed him and him just being there at the other end, as a Test cricketer with all that quality, was a great feeling and gave us a lot of confidence. I really enjoyed our partnership and I think we bounced off each other very well.”

Day Three

Warwickshire fought back to keep all three results alive on the third day of the Rothesay County Championship match against Worcestershire at Edgbaston.

Of his side’s second innings total of 243, Ethan Brookes’ share was 87 from 137 balls. He struck seven sixes, which added to his eight in the first innings, amounted to 15 in the match – a record for any individual at Edgbaston, surpassing the 12 by Ian Botham for Somerset in 1985 and Dean Jones for Australia in 1989.

The former Warwickshire all-rounder’s barrage left his old team needing 393 to win, and they closed the third day on 55 for two after losing both openers in the first four overs. 

Worcestershire resumed on the third morning on 31 without loss, already 180 ahead, but were pegged back by disciplined bowling. The opening partnership reached 80 in 32 overs before three wickets fell for 12 runs in 51 balls. Gareth Roderick (50, 110) edged an expansive drive at Beau Webster. Jake Libby’s 149 minutes of toil for 25 ended when he pulled Ed Barnard to mid-wicket. Kashif Ali collected a torturous 29-ball duck when he pulled Corey Rocchiccioli to short fine leg.

As Warwickshire went on the defensive, Rocchiccioli bowling on or outside leg-stump, Worcestershire’s batters appeared unsure how to handle such a big advantage. That advantage began to diminish as Ethan Bamber bowled Adam Hose and had Tom Taylor caught at point, and Rocchiccioli’s leg-stump probing was rewarded when Brett D’Oliviera tickled a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Kai Smith, and Ben Allison nudged to leg slip.  

Seven wickets fell for 52 runs in 22 overs, but Brookes defended diligently as he awaited support. It arrived from Bertie Foreman, who got the scoreboard moving again before edging Webster to second slip, and then Adam Finch. Having added 88 in the first innings, this time Brookes and Finch put on 91. 

Rocchiccioli wheeled away while Olly Hannon-Dalby bowled far outside off stump to deny Brookes scope to seek the short boundary. It concluded when Brookes hoisted Barnard to deep fine leg and Finch sliced Webster to second slip, 

Warwickshire faced a target of 393 in a day plus 26 overs, weather permitting, and in moderate light, soon lost their openers. Rob Yates was trapped in front by a rapid shooter from Khurram Shahzad. Alex Davies chipped to mid-wicket. Dan Mousley and Zen Malik batted assiduously to the close.

Warwickshire bowler Corey Rocchiccioli said: “The day required us to do some different things that the traditionalists didn’t want to see. But we just felt that as team collective we put ourselves in the best possible position to try and win the game tomorrow. Worcestershire have played really well this game but we have given ourselves a chance. All three results are in the picture tomorrow and we didn’t have that yesterday. We fought really well today.

“At some stages we had some stalemate happening and it was a question of which side was going to blink first. In my opinion. that’s really good first class cricket. Both teams are taking in the situation around them and deciding how to approach it. We just dealt the best we could with the conditions we had.

“I like to bowl sexy off-spin that beats the bat. Today my role was very different, not sexy and not aesthetic and if I was watching it I’d be pretty annoyed and would probably want to bring a pillow to the ground. But it was the role I needed to play and it helped us restrict the run-rate and kept us in with a chance in the game. As much as I love to bowl sexy off spin from over the wicket, the team required me to bowl how I bowled.”

Day Two

Kai Smith and Beau Webster hit battling half-centuries after Ethan Brookes’ century and Khurram Shahzad five-wicket haul put Worcestershire on the front foot in the Rothesay County Championship match at Edgbaston.

Brookes’ career-best 140 (169 balls) against the club that released him lifted Worcestershire’s first innings to 333 before Shahzad took six for 42 to send the home side all out for 184. Smith struck 68 (100) and Webster 57 (84) to help aviod the follow on but Worcestershire closed the second day on 31 without loss, 180 ahead.

Worcestershire resumed on the second morning on 262 for eight with Brookes on 80 and the 24-year-old showed no nerves en route to a poignant century at his former home ground. His century, warmly applauded by supporters of both teams, was reached with a six and he went on to strike eight sixes – the second most in an innings by a Worcestershire batter, behind only Graeme Hick’s 11 against Somerset at Taunton in 1988.

Brookes and Adam Finch added 88 before the former fell to Dan Mousley.

Warwickshire’s top order was then blown away by Shahzad’s opening burst of 6-2-7-3. Rob Yates left one that knocked out off-stump, Mousley edged behind, and Alex Davies dragged on a pull.

Shahzad had Zen Malik caught at first slip, and when Ed Barnard offered Finch a return catch, it was 66 for five.

Webster and Smith added 49, but the former’s attempt to dispatch debutant spinner Bertie Foreman backfired when he chipped to mid off. After Corey Rocchiccioli pulled Shahzad to deep square and Bamber was lbw, Warwickshire’s last two wickets needed to find 31 to avoid the follow-on.

Smith calmly and capably ensured they did. He reached an 88-ball half-century with a six pulled off Ben Allison.

The follow-on avoided by one run, Smith nicked a waft at Finch, and Olly Hannon-Dalby drove a full toss to extra cover four balls later. That left Worcestershire 17 overs batting and they quietly increased their advantage.

Warwickshire wicketkeeper Kai Smith said: “It was nice for me to get some runs. I had a bit of a shaky start, but it was good to spend some time out in the middle. I’ve had a bit of a tough time with the bat this season since the Durham game, so I have been plugging away and working really hard in the nets, so it was just nice to spend some time out there. I tried to take it deep and enjoy myself because I know I play my best when I am enjoying it out there.

“They have a bit of a lead on us, but we won’t back down from the challenge. The key is to take wickets as quickly as possible in the morning. The pitch seems to be drying out a bit, so spin might be a big play, which brings Corey and Taz into the game.

“It is really important how we start tomorrow. Credit to Worcestershire, they have had a really good day with bat and ball. Ethan, with his hundred and Shahzad taking six played very well, so hats off to them, but we will come back strong tomorrow for sure.”

Day One

Ethan Brookes led the resistance against his old club as Worcestershire toiled after choosing to bat in the Rothesay County Championship derby at Edgbaston.

Worcestershire closed the first day on 262 for eight with Brookes unbeaten on 80 (128 balls) having taken responsibility after the fall of captain Brett D’Oliveira (57, 148) left his side on an unconvincing 175 for five.   

D’Oliveira had won the toss and chosen to bat on a good pitch but in perfect seam-bowling conditions with moisture in the air, grey cloud overhead and moderate light. Run-scoring was never easy against an attack led by former Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber who both ended the day with two for 47.

Even with the Kookaburra ball, the conditions were testing for batters and openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby added an uneasy 32 but then fell in successive overs. Both nicked nicely-shaped outswingers to wicketkeeper Kai Smith; Roderick off Barnard and Libby off Bamber.

Kashif Ali struck his first two balls to the off-side boundary but added just three more runs from the next 29 balls before going back to Barnard and falling lbw to one that kept a little low. 

Adam Hose (40, 73) and D’Oliveira dug in to steady the innings, at one stage two runs coming from six overs before Hose pulled a rare loose ball from Bamber into the Hollies Stand. Three weeks ago, Hose smashed a dazzling, stroke-strewn 266 from 253 balls against Hampshire in Southampton. Care and caution were key this time in a partnership of 59 from 23 overs which ended when Hose hesitated when called for a single by D’Oliveira and was beaten by Barnard’s throw. 

D’Oliveira, on the ground where he made his first class debut 13 years earlier, batted with good judgment and determination to try to vindicate his toss decision. He reached his 24th first class half-century (from 137 balls) but then edged Beau Webster, back with the Bears after Australia duty, to Smith.

Tom Taylor played across a straight one from Taz Ali and was lbw. Brookes and Ben Allison added 46 but were parted by the new ball when the latter edged Bamber to slip. That brought in debutant Bertie Foreman, signed on a two-week loan deal from Sussex. A recent nine-for under his belt for Sussex 2nds against Lancashire at Horsham, Foreman will look forward to bowling on a pitch expected to turn later in the game, but made little headway with the bat before edging Olly Hannon-Dalby to second slip. 

Brookes saw the day through before the light, never good, closed in. The all-rounder will have his sights set on his second first class century tomorrow if the tail can stick in there with him.

Warwickshire bowler Ethan Bamber said:

“We feel like we have had a really good day. After losing the toss and being sent into the field, I think on a good wicket it’s a really good effort to keep them to that score. We were fortunate with the overheads and to be bowling with the lights on for long periods, but I think as a group that was one of our best bowling days of the summer in terms of consistency and discipline.

“We stuck maidens together and it was a real collective effort and I love those days when you all pull together, they are my favourite days as a bowler. If we can have a good start to the morning tomorrow and keep them under 300 it will be fantastic.

“There were periods when the pitch went really quiet but during those times we held our lengths really well and then we got our rewards with the second new ball at the end. 

“Ethan Brookes batted beautifully. He is definitely one of the best young batters I have bowled at. He puts the pressure back on the bowler and had a really clear game plan and is a very fine player.”

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