Worcestershire 360 and 295 for 3 (Kashif 133, Libby 75*) lead Warwickshire 333 (Barnard 89, Rhodes 64) by 265 runs
Warwickshire and Worcestershire launched their Vitality County Championship season with a draw after dangerous climate shunted a hitherto intriguing sport up a cul-de-sac at Edgbaston.
Warwickshire’s bowling assault, which is able to count on to be “higher for the outing”, within the phrases of head coach Mark Robinson, secured only one extra wicket when Olly Hannon-Dalby clutched an instinctive return catch from a straight drive by Rob Jones. There was little pleasure for the opposite bowlers and least of all for left-arm spinner Danny Briggs who was adjudged to have delivered seven leg-side wides.
With the match consigned to stalemate, Libby continued implacably to his ton whereas Adam Hose loved a while in the course of his former residence floor, restraining his standard attacking sport to gather an unbeaten 17 in over an hour.
If there was some frustration for Worcestershire at being denied a possibility to file their first Championship win at Edgbaston since 1993, there was additionally loads of room for satisfaction. They acquitted themselves extraordinarily nicely on their return to Division One.
They had been the higher aspect with bat and ball. Kashif’s first two first-class centuries – 110 and 133 – lit up a match largely performed underneath an unbroken cover of gray whereas abroad debutants Nathan Smith and Jason Holder provided promise within the seam assault.
“We performed some actually good cricket throughout the sport,” D’Oliveira mentioned. “Kashif had a extremely particular sport and is a extremely particular cricketer. I’m excited by the journey forward of him. Our abroad guys have fitted in very well. In the beginning, they’re wonderful characters who’ve slotted straight into the dressing room. Jason is good for me as a captain to should bounce concepts off. Nathan is a extremely gifted bowlers who has already confirmed what he can do on this match.
“Each we time we come up we’re favourites to go down and we’ve got been relegated a number of occasions, in order that’s cheap, however this 12 months we aiming to us that as a energy and shock a number of individuals.”
Worcestershire will journey to Trent Bridge to face Nottinghamshire on Friday with confidence excessive. Warwickshire, in the meantime, will purpose to be a lot improved towards Durham at Edgbaston after lacking Sam Hain (private causes) and Liam Norwell (damage) on the coronary heart of their bowling and batting throughout this match.
Robinson admitted that he didn’t know when both participant would return. “We will probably be higher for the outing, as they are saying. Gary [Barwell] and his groundstaff crew did an incredible job to get a sport on however situations had been tough for the bowlers. I believe all of the bowlers struggled within the wind and with tender take-off factors however Worcestershire’s most likely coped a bit of bit higher than ours.
“We have not been the place we need to be throughout this match. Our prep was affected as a result of we misplaced one participant the day earlier than the sport and one other one on the morning of the sport, however we have not bowled significantly nicely and it was a disappointing session with the bat the place we misplaced 5 fast wickets at hand Worcestershire the initiative.
“Liam Norwell is not going to be out there for some time. He has an damage which we’re wanting into to get a little bit of readability. The excellent news, when you can have excellent news about an damage, is that it isn’t the disc in his again that has been the issue up to now. With regard to Sam Hain, I do not know if he will probably be out there for the following sport. We are going to give him on a regular basis and area he wants.”