WARWICKSHIRE V SURREY -
Specsavers County Championship - 27 May 2019
Warwickshire 275-8. Surrey.
A violent half-century from number ten Liam
Norwell lifted Warwickshire to 275 for eight against Surrey on a
fluctuating opening day of their Specsavers County Championship
clash at Edgbaston.
Eager to put pressure on a fragile Bears batting
unit, the champions chose to bowl first on a slow but decent batting
pitch.
That decision looked questionable when
Warwickshire were 58 without loss and then 165 for three, but was
vindicated by a superb post-tea spell from Matt Dunn.
Playing his first championship game for over a
year, Dunn delivered a burst of three for four in 20 balls as the
home side lost five wickets for 21 runs.
The 27-year-old's work crowned a solid collective
effort by a Surrey bowling unit forced into two changes by injuries
to Sam Curran (hamstring) and Conor McKerr (heel). In came Dunn
(19-7-53-3) and Ryan Patel (11-2-24-2) and the pair joined forces in
the final session to send the Bears into deep trouble at 186 for
eight.
But the home side's freefall was halted by a
spectacular counter-attack from ninth-wicket pair Norwell (58 not
out, 48 balls, 11 fours) and Henry Brookes (35 not out, 55 balls,
three fours, two sixes). They added an unbroken 89 in 16 overs to
leave an engrossing day pretty much even.
Warwickshire began solidly as openers Dominic
Sibley (17, 68 balls) and Will Rhodes (39, 80 balls) added 58 but
they fell just before lunch, both lbw to veteran spinner Gareth
Batty.
The first hour of the afternoon session brought an
engrossing duel between South Africa paceman Morne Morkel, playing
his 472nd senior match, and Bears academy product Rob Yates, playing
his fourth.
Yates acquitted himself well but his striking of
two fours in a Morkel over sparked a superb next over from the
fast-bowler. Two rapid bouncers forced the batsman back and then an
equally brisk fuller-length delivery pinned him lbw in his crease.
Sam Hain (47, 114 balls, seven fours) and Adam
Hose (38, 83 balls balls, five fours) retrenched to added 72 in 24
overs either side of tea but then came the clatter. Hain missed an
attempt to turn Dunn to leg and was lbw. After Patel hit Liam Banks'
off-stump, Dunn produced a superb ball to bowl Hose and won the
fifth lbw decision of the innings to remove Tim Ambrose.
Former Warwickshire favourite Rikki Clarke's
brilliant slip catch accounted for Jeetan Patel off his namesake but
Norwell, on his home debut, launched a fightback which included four
fours from Morkel's first over with the new ball.
Warwickshire all-rounder Liam Norwell said:
"Henry and I are both naturally quite attacking players so we
just played out natural game and played our shots and luckily it
came off. It was a mixture of good shots and a bit of luck. I rode
my luck at times but it was just good to be out in the middle with
Henry. He is a lot of fun to bat with.
"The lads up top did the hard graft. Sibs and
Rhodesy took the shine off the new ball and then Hainy and Hosey did
really well in the middle. Now we are in a pretty strong position
and we have just got to focus in the morning and try to get up to
300 for that third batting point.
"Then when we bowl we have got to bowl tight
lines like they did most of the day. They showed the way you have to
bowl, in good channels to hit the top of the stumps, and that's what
we have got to do."
Surrey bowler Matt Dunn said: "All day the
bowlers worked so hard together. We knew it was going to be tough
but everyone bowled in partnerships and bowled for each other. We
worked hard all day and it was a shame that it just got away from us
a little bit at the end because we were in a great position but I
think we would have taken this position at the start of the day. It
is a pitch where you have to put the ball in the right areas and for
a long time we did that well.
"It is great to be back in the team. I am so
proud to wear the Surrey badge. It is everything to me and it is
nice to get out there again and perform. It is just a joy and fun to
be out there."
TEA REPORT
Warwickshire went into tea on 149 for three
against Surrey on a rain-affected opening day of their Specsavers
County Championship match at Edgbaston.
On a cloudy morning, with the floodlights on, the
toss was uncontested as Surrey chose to bowl in a bid to put
immediate pressure on a home batting line-up that has struggled this
season.
The champions were kept waiting for success as
openers Dominic Sibley (17, 68 balls) and Will Rhodes (39, 80 balls)
added 58 but both then fell just before lunch as veteran spinner
Gareth Batty trapped both lbw.
That sent Warwickshire into lunch on 63 for two
and the afternoon session brought an engrossing duel between South
Africa paceman Morne Morkel, playing his 472nd senior game, and
Bears academy product Rob Yates, playing his fourth.
Yates acquitted himself well but his striking of
two fours in a Morkel over sparked a superb next over from the
fast-bowler. Two rapid bouncers forced the batsman back and then an
equally rapid ball was pitched up to pin him lbw in his crease.
After ten overs were lost to rain, Batty wheeled
away on a pitch offering some turn but little assistance to the
quicker bowlers and Sam Hain (35 not out, 89 balls) and Adam Hose
(28 not out, 48 balls) added an unbroken 56 up to tea.
LUNCH REPORT
Warwickshire reached 63 for two after being put
into bat by Surrey in the Specsavers County Championship clash at
Edgbaston.
The toss was uncontested as Surrey took up the
away team's option to bowl on a cloudy morning with the floodlights
on.
Home openers Dominic Sibley (17, 68 balls) and
Will Rhodes (39, 80 balls) had 50 on the board by the 20th over but
both fell lbw to spinner Gareth Batty shortly before lunch.
Batty went into the interval with figures of
2.5-0-6-2.
Surrey have been forced into two changes in the
bowling department with the injured Sam Curran (hamstring) and Conor
McKerr (heel) replaced by Ryan Patel and Matt Dunn.
Warwickshire are unchanged with new signing
Michael Burgess's loan spell not beginning until June 1. He will be
eligible to make his debut in the home game with Nottinghamshire
next week.
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