Report: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire friendly – Day Two
After rain wiped out all but five minutes of the opening session, Rhodes and opening partner Rob Yates each passed 50 as the Bears scored 137 without loss from 38 overs before declaring. Rhodes ended unbeaten on 72 (127 balls, 11 fours) with Yates on 65 (101 balls, ten fours).
Nottinghamshire then went in after tea and made 84 for two from 23 overs.
Warwickshire’s opening pair batted with assurance against a varied Notts attack despite damp in the air and moderate light. Rhodes was first to his half-century (83 balls), reached with a swept four off Samit Patel, before Yates posted his 50 (81 balls) by handsomely cutting Tom Barber for his eighth four.
Yates’s composed innings pressed his claim to open the batting with the skipper in the first Bob Willis Trophy match, at home to Northamptonshire starting next Sunday, when Dom Sibley will be away on England duty.
When Nottinghamshire batted, there was quick success for Ryan Sidebottom whose third ball cut away from Ben Slater and found the edge through to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess. At the other end, Tim Bresnan, on his first bowl for the Bears, opened up with an impressive spell, conceding just a single from his first four overs.
Bresnan was involved in the second wicket, taking a sharp catch at slip when spinner Alex Thomson induced an edge from Ben Compton.