Today is the first day of a new County Championship season. One advantage of having 18 first class sides is that it is relatively unlikely even in an English April to be pissing down in nine different locations simultaneously. Many of today’s matches have been affected by weather, with the entire day washed out in more than one location. Warwickshire v Worcestershire, the west midlands derby, has been unaffected and it has been that game that I have been following via http://www.bbc.co.uk/cricket and http://www.cricinfo.com. This post looks at what has happened so far.
THE PRELIMINARIES
Warwickshire featured a first class debutant, Michael Booth, born in Harare, formerly a KwaZulu Natal Under 15s player and now on the way to qualifying by residence for England. The sides were reflective of what might be expected in an English April, with both going for deep batting line ups (Worcestershire had Joe Leach, pretty close to being an all rounder, down at number 10 on their list) and spin bowling barely featuring (Warwickshire have Danny Briggs in their line up, but the nearest thing to a genuine spin option for Worcestershire would be Brett D’Oliveira’s part time leg spin). Mr D’Oliveira is part of a cricketing dynasty now into its third generation of FC cricketers, and they have a connection with Worcestershire that stretches back 60 years – grandfather Basil played his county cricket for them, as did the middle generation, Damian. Warwickshire won the toss and decided to bowl.
BAD BOWLING OR KOOKABURRA EFFECT?
This match is being played with Kookaburra balls rather than the Duke ball that is usually used in this country. Warwickshire have not bowled that well, their field settings have sometimes been awry (the debutant should have had a scalp in his first over but for a bizarre slip field setting featuring a second slip and a fourth slip but no one in between – Booth got one to take an edge which would have gone directly to third slip had such a fielder been in place.), and there has been little sign of trouble for the Worcestershire batters. Jake Libby did fall to the debutant for 38, courtesy of a fine boundary catch, but that remains Warwickshire’s only success. More than half way through the day Worcestershire are 179-1, with veteran keeper batter Gareth Roderick on 67 and promising young batter Kashif Ali on 68. Hannon-Dalby has been particularly poor with the ball, and time may also be catching up with former Durham man Chris Rushworth. This is not a surface for spinners, and Briggs has bowled economically but not threateningly. The other two bowlers used by Warwickshire, Will Rhodes and Ed Barnard are both workaday practitioners. Dan Mousley, allegedly an all rounder, has not been called on and neither has youngster Jacob Bethell. As I write this Roderick has edged one from Rhodes into the slips to make it 180-2, Roderick gone for 68. Worcestershire are still well on top – to take the second wicket as tea approaches when you have chosen to bowl is unambiguously a poor day in the field.
PHOTOGRAPHS
My usual sign off…