Warwickshire 50+ completed their season on Wed 18th with a win against Wales but were unable to qualify for the knockout rounds of the tournament.
Warwickshire 50+ completed their season on Wed 18th with a win against Wales but were unable to qualify for the knockout rounds of the tournament.
Losses against Staffordshire and Gloucestershire left them needing to win all of their last three games against Herefordshire, Shropshire and Wales to qualify.
Wins against Herfordshire and Wales weren’t quite enough as the penultimate game against Shropshire was narrowly lost in a run-fest at Coventry & North Warwickshire CC.
Nonetheless, in a transitional season, some new players made an impact and Warwickshire had chances to win in all of their games. Taking these chances will be the aim for the team in next year’s competition.
Scorecards for all of the games played can be found here:
Warks 50+ v Staffordshire 50+ at Longton CC 13/06/18
Staffordshire won the toss and decided to bat first on a used wicket.
Warwickshire started to make inroads as Healey bowled Dutton and debutant Reck-Smith bowling Cotton for seven to make Staffs 37-2 with both of their major batters dismissed.
Warwickshire’s bowlers were guilty of bowling the odd bad ball which Hawkins and Brown took advantage of to move the score on before Henderson had both caught behind to make the total 109-4.
From there the Staffs innings never really recovered as the Warwickshire bowlers tightened their lines and lengths and worked their way through the rest of the batting. The only resistance was from the last wicket pair who batted sensibly to take the score from 139 to 161 before Kenvyn gave ‘keeper Bisset his fourth catch of the innings from Healey’s bowling.
Altaf and Henderson were the pick of the Warwickshire bowlers and Reck-Smith contributed with three wickets on debut.
Warwickshire’s reply could not have got off to a worse start in the chase for 162 with wickets falling quickly as the batters struggled with some accurate bowling on a wicket getting more and more difficult.
At 17-5 all hope looked gone but Daniels and Reck-Smith hung around to try to get the innings onto an even keel. They were so successful in this that they frustrated the bowlers who then started to stray and offer scoring opportunities, which enabled the pair to take the score to 88 before Reck-Smith was bowled by Heath.
Healey and Bisset kept the good work up as Daniels became more fluent and Staffs became more worried.
The return of Staffs’ captain Kenvyn proved pivotal as he dismissed Daniels with one which kept a little low and although the rest of the batters dug in the pitch got the better of them to leave Staffs winners by 25 runs.
Warks 50+ v Gloucester 50+ at Stowell Park CC 20/06/18
Warwickshire travelled to the bucolic ground of Stowell Park to take on table-topping Gloucestershire and narrowly lost to the form team of the Group.
Winning the toss and batting first, Warwickshire made a brisk start with Hawkes and Layton taking advantage of any loose deliveries and looking to be positive in an opening stand of 78 before Layton was adjudged lbw to Courtney. Altaf and Hawkes followed as Gloucestershire took the pace off the ball and made scoring more difficult.
No batter could really score freely but slow progress was made until the late stages of the innings when Reck-Smith found his range and started to find the boundaries. This late flourish took Warwickshire to a defendable total of 221-7.
Gloucestershire rode their luck in reply with Wright being particularly fortunate not to chop after offering a very difficult caught and bowled chance from his first ball which Healey did well to even reach.
After that, Wright settled in and showed his class with regular boundaries as the Warks bowlers found it difficult to break through. Altaf snared Dixon but Millard showed an ability to hit the ball well and in partnership with Wright took the score to 135 before Millard tried one big hit too many and was caught off Moore.
With this partnership broken and Gordon-Lennox out soon after, Warwickshire’s hopes revived but a partnership between the ex-pros Wright and Johnson took the score to 196 before the returning Altaf had Wright lbw for 102.
Wickets now started to fall regularly as Warwickshire tried to pressurise the Gloucs batters and it needed an important cameo by Bowyer at number eight to calm the Gloucs nerves as he took them to victory with an over to spare.
Warks 50+ v Herefordshire 50+ at Eastnor CC 04/07/18
Warks 50+ travelled to the picturesque venue of Eastnor Castle and came away with a win, which saw them keep their qualification hopes alive.
Deciding to bat first, Warwickshire made heavy weather of scoring runs as a number of batters made starts but weren’t able to capitalise with a big score. Captain Daniels was the only batter to pass 50, but when he was out at 115-4 the innings lost momentum until a late charge by Reck-Smith and Younas managed to push the total past the 200 mark.
Herefordshire started circumspectly with Rickets and Reeve building slowly after the early loss of Smith to Palmer.
Warwickshire kept bowling tightly and Moore and Altaf whittled away at the batting taking three wickets apiece to put Hereford behind the asking rate. Palmer then came back to apply the coup de grace to finish with four wickets and leave Warwickshire winners by 46 runs.
Warks 50+ v Shropshire 50+ at Coventry & North Warwickshire CC 11/07/18
Warwickshire put up a gutsy show against high-flying Shropshire but were not able to chase a formidable target.
Shropshire won an important toss and batted first. Smith made an early breakthrough by bowling in-form batter Ed Home but Warwickshire were not able to follow this up as Street and Trow took a liking to the good wicket and fast outfield.
Warwickshire kept the run rate within bounds and with 10 of the 45 overs left and Shropshire at 175-3 the innings was in the balance. The crucial knock was played by the Shropshire captain, Nock, as he found the boundaries regularly in an innings of 91* which propelled Shropshire to 271-5.
The Bears lost Layton early to the impressive Priest but Bristow and Altaf got the innings moving with Bristow playing some aggressive shots on his home ground before holing out at long-off. The Warwickshire innings faltered until Reck-Smith joined Altaf and the two of them took the score from 106 to 183 before Altaf fell for 84. Reck-Smith then took on the mantle and showed both the power and delicacy of shot to score quickly.
With 10 overs to go the Bears were at 176-4 and had an outside chance of threatening the total. Three wickets in the next over meant that Warwickshire faltered and although Reck-Smith kept swinging he was the 9th wicket to fall for a magnificent 86 at 243. The final wicket fell immediately with Shropshire winning by 28 runs to ensure their progress to the knock-out stages of the tournament and leaving Warwickshire unable to qualify.
Warks 50+ v Wales 50+ at Knowle & Dorridge CC 18/07/18
After the disappointment of the previous week, Warwickshire were intent on finishing the season on a positive note which they did with a good win against Wales.
Wales won the toss and decided to bat and promptly made the worst possible start as Healey cunningly fooled debutant opener Lynn with a wide full toss which he spooned to cover. Phelps and Adams then constructed a good partnership with Adams taking the leading role initially to be then overtaken by Phelps. Altaf and Moore again slowed the batters’ progress but found it difficult to break through until Phelps carved Moore to Altaf.
Adams was being kept quiet and the innings was struggling to accelerate with the scoring rate being held to a consistent 5 an over. Warks eventually got Adams chopping on off Altaf and Aswani found Eames at midwicket off Hawkes. It was only a good partnership between Captain Jones and Murphy which enabled Wales to reach 250, a total which looked par at best.
The assessment of the total seemed correct as Hawkes and Altaf started briskly and scored at a consistent 6 an over in an opening partnership of 118 before Altaf missed a pull immediately after reaching 50. Bristow, Layton and Daniels all chipped in to help take the score to 198-4 whilst Hawkes sailed onto an impressive century. Eames steadied any nerves with a sound 25* as even the departure of Hawkes for a majestic 114 couldn’t stop Warwickshire cruising to the win.
