Porterfield and Patel Power Warwickshire to Victory

Sunday 15th April
Warwickshire, 243 & 262/8, beat Somerset, 147 & 354, by two wickets.

William Porterfield struck an eye pleasing 84, aided by some tail-end pyrotechnics from New Zealand’s Jeetan Patel, as Warwickshire completed a two wicket victory over Somerset at Edgbaston.

Victory will be of great relief to Warwickshire, who had found themselves unexpectedly staring down a Thatcher’s Gold branded barrel after a middle order collapse of five wickets for 17 runs in 47 balls; prior to that they had required just 69 runs to win with seven wickets in hand.

Jeetan Patel spared the blushes of his captain, Jim Troughton

Nobody will be more relieved than Jim Troughton. The Warwickshire captain, renowned for being a safe pair of hands in the field, had inexplicably dropped the simplest of catches at mid-off with Jos Buttler, who proceeded to make 93, fresh to the crease on 7. Troughton did gain a measure of redemption by hitting the winning runs, but remains somewhat indebted to Patel who contributed 43 toward their 55 run partnership.

In a game that ebbed and flowed from day one both sides had found themselves in winning positions  only to relinquish with all too apparent haste. Porterfield, having played quite beautifully for his 84, was perhaps the prime example as he miscued a ghastly front-foot pull to Craig Kieswetter behind the stumps.

Somerset had earlier manoeuvred themselves in to a position of relative strength in the match courtesy of steady accumulation from second innings centurion Nick Compton (133) and the powerful stroke play of Buttler, of course with no small thanks to Jim Troughton. Warwickshire seamer Chris Wright, who was immensely impressive throughout and comfortably out-bowled South African counterpart Vernon Philander, returned to put an end to a stand of 167 and leave his side requiring 258 runs for victory.

 After losing the early wickets of makeshift opener Neil Carter and Varun Chopra, Warwickshire made serene progress through Porterfield and Ian Westwood before the latter strangely offered no stroke to a straight delivery from Philander and was adjudged lbw, thus ending a stand of 102 between the pair. Former Bears captain Darren Maddy provided much needed impetus to the chase, but after falling lbw to the impressive Peter Trego unforeseen madness swiftly ensued.

Following the ungainly dismissal of Porterfield, who fell three runs short of his highest score in a Warwickshire shirt, former England wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose offered a return catch to fall for a golden duck and leave Trego on a hat-trick. His next delivery proved to be a no-ball, though Trego’s spell of three wickets in seven balls for no runs had by now managed to suppress the earlier raucous din periodically emanating from some individuals residing in the members stand.

Rikki Clarke came and went, as did Keith Barker who was bizarrely out hit-wicket from the bowling of Trego. Barker, hopping about as if he were facing a prime, genetically modified Allan Donald, was hit on the ear piece of the helmet by a Trego bouncer and duly trod on his stumps. One suspects that won’t be the last short ball Barker will have to contend with this season.

Enter Jeetan Patel. Warwickshire’s overseas signing, with the club for a third consecutive season, had bagged a duck in the first innings and offered little hope to the hardy souls dotted around a chilly Edgbaston. Yet, with 52 still required for victory, the New Zealander launched an astonishing counter-attack that stunned Somerset. Swatting sixes over long –on and third man, off the bowling of Trego and Philander respectively, Patel set about rapidly reducing the requirement. Somerset captain Marcus Trescothick introduced spinner Dockrell to the attack in an attempt to lure Patel in to a false stroke, only to be met with another six and two fours before Patel took a single allowing captain Troughton to spare his own blushes with a back-foot drive to the boundary to secure victory.

A thrilling County Championship match, yet one that was witnessed by disappointingly few. Warwickshire, without key bowlers Chris Woakes and Boyd Rankin, and with England batsmen Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott returning imminently, may just be ones to watch in this year’s title race.

Warwickshire v Somerset - Edgbaston: Day Three

Saturday 14th April

Warwickshire, 243 and 123-2, require another 136 runs to beat Somerset, 147 and 354.

One Warwickshire member proclaimed during the lunch interval today that Jim Troughton dropped catches were “collector’s items.” Jos Buttler soon revealed himself to be an avid hoarder. Troughton, having inexplicably shelled a chance that would have been snapped up by Kevin Pietersen circa Ashes 2005 in a straitjacket at mid-off with Buttler fresh to the crease, could only watch on in horror as the Somerset youngster combined with unbeaten overnight stalwart Nick Compton to build a partnership worth 167 runs.

It would perhaps be unfair to brand the Compton Buttler axis a case of beauty and the beast, but the contrast in both timing and power was evident between the two as Compton, resuming on 61, re-assumed the familiar barnacle-like existence so familiar to Warwickshire supporters that sat (or slept) through his six-hour vigil six years ago, bringing up his century from 189 balls. Interestingly, his first 50 runs had taken just 61 of those.

Compton - Watchful century

At the other end Buttler drove and swept with aplomb, duly reaching his own half century from 68 balls; each boundary only serving to deepen the shade of puce marking Troughton’s face. The impressive Chris Wright returned to trap Buttler lbw, playing across a straight one on 93 to leave the pair just nine runs short of equalling the record Somerset sixth wicket partnership against the Bears and sparking a flurry of three wickets for five runs in less than two overs.

The match remained very much in the balance with Warwickshire requiring 259 to win in their second innings and both sides confident of victory; Somerset wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter had suggested that a lead of 180 was defendable during a visit to the Edgbaston press box earlier in the day.

After failing to impress the watching Geoff Miller yesterday, Warwickshire opener and England hopeful Varun Chopra did little to enhance his claims, top-edging a ghastly pull shot off the front-foot to be caught by Kieswetter for 10 shortly after surprise makeshift opener Neil Carter had perished attempting to drive left-arm spinner George Dockrell through extra cover, Jos Buttler completing a smart catch.

The decision to promote Carter to open the innings proved a shrewd one as the all-rounder set about removing the lacquer from the new ball in typically robust fashion, his 26 coming from just 17 balls. The left-hander has never been the most competent player of spin, though, and the trend continued as it took Dockrell just three balls to get his man.

Ian Westwood and William Porterfield are two players likely to be looking over their shoulders with the return of England batsman Ian Bell to the Warwickshire fold next week, but the duo saw out the remaining overs of the day to leave Warwickshire well set at 123-2, requiring a further 136 for a victory that had looked unlikely in the aftermath of Troughton’s fielding horror show.

Porterfield, ending the day with an unbeaten 57, was particularly impressive as he produced an array of scorching straight drives to blunt an eager Somerset attack and deny a baying slip cordon.

It was an irony that will be lost on few of the Warwickshire faithful that Troughton later took a marvellous catch diving backwards at mid-off to remove first innings top scorer Philander, though it did little to atone for his unwilling contribution to what could yet prove to be a match winning partnership. Of all the Warwickshire captain’s collector’s items, this one might just fetch the highest price.

Warwickshire v Somerset - Edgbaston: Day Two

Friday 13^th April

Somerset closed day two of their LV= County Championship fixture against Warwickshire on 127-4, a lead of 31 runs.

Warwickshire had earlier resumed their first innings on 111-3 with Darren Maddy, unbeaten overnight on 24, immediately displaying aggressive intent with a sweetly driven four through the covers off the bowling of South African maestro Vernon Philander. In contrast, Varun Chopra looked to have adopted a vastly different approach to the obdurately watchful demonstration of technique and concentration that saw him reach 40 not out at the close of day one. Driving loosely at his first delivery of the day Chopra was comprehensively beaten by the outswing of Steve Kirby, though the looks of anguish on Somerset faces were soon replaced with delight as the Warwickshire opener duly edged his third ball faced to second slip off the same bowler.

Warwickshire v Somerset - view from the new media centre at Edgbaston

Former England wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose and Darren Maddy steadied the ship, before Maddy was next out with Warwickshire still six runs adrift of Somerset’s first innings total at 141-5. After making an impressive 42 the former Warwickshire captain fell lbw to Philander, who had looked perhaps at his most ineffective since announcing himself so spectacularly on the world stage for South Africa.

A hint of variable bounce had kept Somerset’s seamers interested throughout the morning session, though captain Marcus Trescothick wasted little time in turning to the left-arm spin of Irish youngster George Dockrell , conqueror in chief of Middlesex in Somerset’s season opener at Taunton last week. Warwickshire all-rounder Rikki Clarke, having replaced Maddy at the crease, had little intention of letting the 19 year old settle, advancing down the wicket to crash Dockrell back over his head for a brace of boundaries.

Ambrose came and went swiftly, driving on the up off the bowling of Dibble, who had consistently generated appreciable swing, to offer Jos Buttler a straightforward catch at extra cover. That brought Keith Barker to the crease and the all-rounder immediately looked to continue the policy of aggression toward Dockrell, who had lacked the assistance from the pitch that was so freely on offer at Taunton. Clarke had moved comfortably on to 27 at the other end, though his own attempt to dominate ultimately proved his undoing, bottom edging an attempted pull to an innocuous Trego delivery on to his stumps.

The lead by now was approaching 50, and with Somerset desperate to limit their deficit Arul Suppiah fumbled a regulation run-out opportunity against the dangerous Neil Carter. The mistake was not to prove costly, as Dockrell removed Carter with a relatively tame caught and bowled dismissal in the following over. Jeetan Patel came and went for a second ball duck, bringing Chris Wright to the crease at 196-9 and offering Somerset an opportunity to promptly wrap up the Warwickshire innings.

It proved to be an opportunity they were loath to take. Wright displayed many of the necessary batting qualities conspicuously absent from a number of top order batsmen throughout this match; solid in defence and intelligently rotating the strike with the recognised batsman Barker. There are few sights that provide greater frustration in cricket to a fielding side than a tail-end batsman stubbornly resisting, and tempers were visibly beginning to fray. Barker had offered a simple caught and bowled chance, had Kirby kept his footing, but with the bowler stumbling on his follow through the ball was able to land safe. Kirby, never one afraid to conceal his emotions, vented his anger by hurling a piece of debris from the pitch.

Warwickshire’s highest tenth wicket partnership against Somerset was a stand of 75 by Dermot Reeve and Tim Munton in 1990, but any designs of Barker and Wright to eclipse that effort terminated on 47 when Kirby returned to rearrange Barker’s furniture. Of particular interest, and no doubt encouragement, to England’s batsmen was the comfort with which Wright played Philander armed with the second new ball throughout his unbeaten 18.

Trescothick and Suppiah strode out to the middle to begin Somerset’s second innings looking to erase a deficit of 96, but hopes of doing so were soon dashed. In a repeat of the first innings Trescothick looked ill at ease against the left arm seam of Keith Barker, taking 13 balls to get off the mark before missing a straight one shortly after reaching double figures. There was still time for a solitary over from Jeetan Patel prior to the tea break, and the former New Zealand spinner drew four false shots from the six balls bowled, finding appreciable turn and simultaneously reminding his team-mates that they don’t want to be chasing too many batting last on this pitch.

Somerset went in to the tea break at 36-1, and upon the resumption of play Nick Compton opted to counter-attack and swiftly brought up his half century from 61 balls. Somerset reached their hundred and looked to be reasserting themselves in the match until a comical mix-up between the wickets saw Suppiah run out for 33. Suppiah played the ball toward silly mid-off and set off hurriedly. The resulting throw at the stumps missed, but some shrewd backing up by Neil Carter saw him gather the ball and throw down the stumps with an underarm dive in a fashion not quite befitting of his stature.

 James Hildreth completed a rotten match on a personal level as he found his middle stump uprooted by a beauty from Neil Carter for 3 to go with a golden duck in the first innings, and England limited overs wicket-keeper Craig Kieswetter also succumbed late in the day as he was bowled through the gate by the impressive Patel. Somerset withheld the more attacking minded duo of Peter Trego and Jos Buttler, sending night watchman George Dockrell out to the middle who duly held firm despite a host of Warwickshire fielders surrounding the bat.

Somerset, effectively 31-4 in their second innings, will be wholly reliant upon the aforementioned Compton, who remains unbeaten on 61 after displaying the kind of stoicism too easily neglected by his team-mates, and the lower order batting of the likes of Trego, Buttler and their first innings top scorer Vernon Philander. Warwickshire remain on top, but won’t want to chase much in excess of 180 on a pitch that is offering turn and a hint of variable bounce. The morning session on day three is likely to prove pivotal in the outcome of this intriguing contest. It may well be a case of who wants it more, and on the evidence provided thus far it is still rather difficult to be sure.