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Warwickshire 283 for 4 (Hain 83 *, Rhodes 60, Sibley 56) vs Somerset
It would be difficult to say the exact moment when a collective consciousness swept over Edgbaston. It wasn’t early in the day when Warwickshire was inserted. It wasn’t at lunch, which they hit 80 for 1. It wasn’t even at tea, when they got 161 for 3.
But somewhere in this last session, maybe as Sam Hain and Matt Lamb got up to a stand of 122 in 34 overs, something changed. As the shadows lengthened, so did the hopes. The spectators, who had watched relatively calmly throughout the day, began to find their voices. Gradually, the unmistakable feeling arose: Warwickshire can win.
If they want to do it, the first session on the second day can be crucial. As Hampshire started the round of games 3.5 points clear, they couldn’t earn a single bonus point at batting in their game against Lancashire. This means that, if Warwickshire can reach 350 in 110 overs, they will earn their fourth bonus point at batting (these are only available in the first 110 overs of a team’s first innings) and get ahead of them. They resume on day two requiring 67 of the next 14 overs to do so, a rate of 4.78 an over.
It would not be the end of their task either. They would still have to win the game. They should always take maximum bowling bonus points. And they would still have to hope that Lancashire – currently 25 for 3 – do not score 400 in their first innings and win their match against Hampshire. But you can only take one step at a time and the point is that the first day of this game could hardly have gone better from Warwickshire’s point of view.
The fact that the Warwickshires are so well placed is in large part due to Hain. Hain, 26, has long had a reputation as an exceptional white ball player – he has the highest batting average in A-List cricket history – but has not been able to translate its indisputable ability in a consistent first class race. locust.
Here, however, he was able to perfectly combine his first-class skills with his limited skills. After taking 101 balls in his first 38 races, demonstrating solid technique and temperament in the process, he accelerated so smoothly that his next 51 balls made 45 more. And while Warwickshire faced eight young girls in 14 overs at one point in the afternoon, Hain hit four straight limits (including three out of Tom Abell) once the second new ball was taken.
Warwickshire have already plundered 77 of the first 16 overs against this new ball. A similar rate in the morning will bring them a little closer to the stock. It seems, by now, that Hain has timed his “hunt” to perfection.
But while Hain will make the headlines, Warwickshire will also be grateful for a slightly more prosaic contribution higher up in the order. It’s a good batting track, but being set up at that time of year when games start at 10:30 am and reach lunch for the loss of a single wicket was a nice effort. There were times in Dom Sibley’s innings – his 56 points took up 55 overs – where you could feel some frustration from the crowd. But the ball beat the bat 16 times in that first hour and had Sibley and co. tried to pick up the pace, chances are the Warwickshire title race is over now.
Sibley is clearly trying to expand his game, too. He gave himself room to cut Jack Leach through the offside, skidded sharp singles and, at times, drove with an ease that will surprise some. But above all, he made the ball shine and put a few kilometers in the legs of the bowlers. Without the foundations Sibley dug, Hain and Lamb may not have been able to build their partnership. It took a beauty of Jack Brooks, a swinger who demanded a bang, to get him back.
Lamb and the captain, Will Rhodes, are also worth mentioning. Until Hain’s late charge, Rhodes had produced the smoothest stick of the day registering half a century of 102 balls, while Lamb continues to deliver selfless performances without achieving the important personal score to appropriate the game. position. Both played their part in this performance, however.
Warwickshire resistance seemed to frustrate Craig Overton, in particular. At one point – but only after warning him beforehand – Overton appeared to have pushed Lamb back. ESPNcricinfo understands Somerset captain Abell agreed to withdraw the appeal when referee Steve O’Shaughnessy asked if he wanted it confirmed. The episode drew a bit of booing from the crowd, but Overton is the kind of contender any team would want on their side. He insisted on playing in that game despite a shoulder injury that he would have been well justified in resting – and Lamb really continued to wander off his field.
The decision to withdraw the appeal was arguably not Somerset’s most controversial of the day. They also decided to choose Lewis Gregory, who suffers from a partial fractured back that prevents him from playing bowling, as a specialist hitter in front of James Hildreth. At first glance, it looks like a baffling decision, but Gregory is averaging 48.33 for this championship season and Hildreth is just 22.80. For the first time in many years, he found himself excluded from the Somerset Championship.
It can be noted that Warwickshire have also chosen not to select their recently signed foreign player, Chemar Holder. No matter how successful Warwickshire is this season, they can regretfully reflect on their overseas player picks. Said nicely, they did not offer good value for money.
It’s a worry for another day. For now, Warwickshire will be delighted that, before the final three days of the Championship season, they may have become favorites for the title.
George Dobell is Senior Correspondent at ESPNcricinfo
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