Report: Warwickshire v Yorkshire, Day One

Warwickshire got on the grass for the first time this year, gaining valuable batting time in the middle.

Batting for a full 90 overs, the Bears made 310 in humid conditions at the Tolerance Oval – the same ground where they were victorious in the Abu Dhabi Counties Super Cup last Sunday.

Ed Barnard starred with the bat, firing 91 (142) around the lunch interval, while Will Rhodes struck an exact half-century (140 balls). Jacob Bethell, who returned to the middle after making 14, scored 36* the second time, with Olly Hannon-Dalby, adding an entertaining five-four 27* to end proceedings.

Hamza Shaikh, alongside Chris Benjamin and Craig Miles, impressed at the Mohan Oval, striking 41 for a Combined XI against Notts.

The Bears will now rest up and look to prepare for 90 overs in the field. Mark Robinson’s side have chosen to use a Duke ball with all senior bowlers expected to be given an opportunity to impress.

Ed Barnard said: “Everyone’s got a lot of out of it and it was nice to see Jacob [Bethell] and OHD play nicely in that last hour. Time in the middle can be hard to come by in pre-season, so it’s valuable to us.

“It’s been a long winter indoors and I’ve had some rehab pre-Christmas so to get outside and play is nice. It’s always nice to get some time out there, get into a rhythm, and few came out the middle.

“It wasn’t too hot there and we’re hoping for some cloud cover tomorrow. The bowling unit is ready to give it a crack and hopefully a few poles.”

Will Rhodes added: “Nets and indoor nets are a completely different beast to what you face out here. They’re competitive, they have a good attack and it’s great to have fields set in front you. They kept coming with seven pace bowlers and three spinners and I think the bowling quality was there all day, which we can take a lot from.

“These days can drift, but we wanted to utilise this time wisely. Davo and Robbo have set a clear gameplan in the meetings we’ve had over the winter and the guys have tried to implement those. A couple of guys might not have got the time in the middle they wanted, but any time is valuable time.

“It’s always nice to open your account with a nice score, but it’s time in the middle and what you’re working towards. I’ve had a plan over the winter and it was nice to see it come off first time. We’ve got some two-day games when we’re back and it’ll be about doing the same things in those games and the nets as well.

“I think we’ll get out what we put in on that wicket tomorrow. If you’re lazy with your lines or length you can get punished, but I think there’s something there if you want to be aggressive. The sub-continent is always a tough place to bowl, it’ll test our skills and what we’ve been working and it’ll be a nice challenge.”