Day 1
Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell struck centuries and Adam Hose made a stylish 68 in his first first-class innings for Warwickshire on the opening day of the three-day friendly with Durham MCCU at Edgbaston.
Put in, the Bears made 299 for four before declaring to give their seamers some bowling in the closing stages of the day. The students closed on 35 for one after 13 overs.
After rain washed out last week’s friendly against Somerset, it was a great relief that at last the weather relented to allow some match practice – and former England pair Trott and Bell took full advantage.
Trott’s unbeaten 111, his 44th first-class century, came from 206 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Bell scored a fluent 100, his 52nd ton in first-class cricket, from 162 balls with 16 fours,
Warwickshire hit some early turbulence as openers Will Rhodes, making his Bears debut, and Dom Sibley, in his first match as Bears captain, fell for just two apiece within the first four overs. Rhodes departed to the sixth ball of the match in unfortunate fashion, tickling a ball from Alex McGrath down the leg-side to the wicketkeeper. Sibley nicked an attempted drive at Alex Russell.
Bell was soon unfurling his trademark cover-drives though and with Trott added 158 in 45 overs before becoming the second batsman of the day to perish to a leg-side strangle.
That brought Hose to the crease for the first time for Warwickshire in first-class cricket, a condition of his mid-season move from Somerset last year having restricted him to T20 cricket for the Bears in 2017.
He started in similarly spectacular vein to the way he did in T20 last year. On his T20 bow against Lancashire Lightning his buccaneering 43-ball 76 included a six on to the top tier of the pavilion. Today he blasted 68 from 72 balls with nine fours and three sixes – one of which also landed in the top tier.
When Durham MCCU replied, Keith Barker struck with his fifth delivery, yet another strangle as JD Marshall was slickly caught down the leg side by Tim Ambrose.
