County Championship Division One: Essex vs. Warwickshire - Day 1 Review
The seamers put Warwickshire in command on a rain shortened first day of their four day County Championship Division One clash against Essex at Edgbaston, Birmingham. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Warwickshire-c862 exploited the seaming pitch as the visitors floundered to 90 for 7 in 27.3 overs before rain stopped the game that was later abandoned.
In the make or break playoff for the bottom two teams, Chris Woakes and Boyd Rankin bowled with remarkable line and length as Warwickshire had the visitors reeling at 90 for 7 at lunch. Woakes recorded three scalps followed by Boyd Rankin who picked two wickets after bowling nine balls and conceding only four runs. Only Ravi Bopara resisted and remained unbeaten on 42 off 60 balls, plundering six boundaries.
Essex started their first innings reasonably well before running into a red-hot Chris Woakes who ran through their batting line, claiming the top three wickets. Off the seven wickets lost by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Essex-c783 on Day 1, only the opening could muster past 13 but both of them succumbed for scores below 25 while rest of the cast, capitulating to the Warwickshire attack, fell for single digit scores.
Warwickshire, after winning the first toss of this season’s County Championship Division One on their home ground put the visitors into bat, favouring its bowlers on a damp pitch in dull and cloudy bowler friendly conditions. So far in the season, Warwickshire had played six championship matches but could never win the toss. The bowlers utilized the toss well, exploiting the seaming pitch as the two seamers had Essex struggling at 90 for 7 before rain arrived.
The opening duo featuring http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jaik-Mickleburgh-c1627 started the innings aggressively, mauling the Warwickshire attack with a flurry of sweetly-timed boundaries. But the opening stand of 36 runs turned out to be a false dawn for Essex. Billy Gidman departed in the ninth over, edging Chris Woakes safely into the gloves of keeper Johnson behind the stumps. Godleman scored 22 runs from 31 balls. His 34 minute stay at the crease saw him plunder four muscular boundaries. The downhill of the visitors started with his wicket as the seven wickets of Essex were lost for only 54 runs with the bulk coming from a fluent Ravi Bopara.
Godleman’s dismissal brought Ravi Bopara to the crease and in partnership with Jaik Mickleburgh; the pair added only five more runs to the scorecard for the second wicket stand. Mickleburgh followed his opening partner Billy Godleman in the 10th over when he was trapped leg before by Chris Woakes, leaving the visitors at 41 for 2 on the board. Mickleburgh’s 27-ball innings earned Essex 14 more runs including two lofty fours as well. That became 41 for 3 when Chris Woakes struck back in his next over and trapped Matt http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Walker-c95903 leg before off a low delivery. Walker failed to open his account after facing six balls.
Ravi Bopara and Mark Pettini shared a 19 run stand for the fourth wicket partnership with the bulk coming from the former. Mark Pettini, struggling at the crease, was bowled by Rikki Clarke with a fuller delivery on second ball of 20th over. During 28 minutes stay at crease, Pettini scored just three runs after facing 21 deliveries. Pettini was followed back by Essex skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ateeq-Javid-c1104 for a duck.
Ryan ten Doeschate and fluent Ravi Bopara added 29 runs to the team’s total for the sixth wicket stand taking the side from 61 for 5 to 90 for 5. Ten Doeschate departed in the 26th over, nicking Rankin to Johnson. Doeschate’s scored 7 runs off 10 balls. Rankin struck back in his next over, removing http://www.senore.com/Cricket/David-Masters-c1333 just before rain abandoned play for the day.
Tags: