Bears beat Kent for first Championship win of 2024

Olly Hannon-Dalby's nine wickets in the match also helped him go past 500 scalps for the Bears in all formats in his 12 seasons at Edgbaston

Vitality County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day three)

Kent 156: Compton 70; Booth 3-13, Hannon-Dalby 3-31, Rushworth 3-43 & 243: Bell-Drummond 78, Evison 65; Hannon-Dalby 6-43

Warwickshire 420: Rhodes 201, Barnard 65; Garrett 3-75, Parkinson 3-96

Warwickshire (23pts) beat Kent (3pts) by an innings and 21 runs

Match scorecard

Warwickshire wrapped up their expected win over Kent with ease as they completed an innings and 21-run victory inside three days.

It was the Bears' first County Championship win of the season at the 11th time of asking - and significantly eases their relegation fears with three games left.

But, for Kent, a sixth red-ball defeat in a row leaves them staring the drop in the face - six years on from themselves and Warwickshire being promoted together.

Injuries to key pair Tawanda Muyeye and Grant Stewart only added to a grim three days in Birmingham for Matt Walker’s men.

In his penultimate game before leaving at the end of the season to join Durham, former Bears skipper Will Rhodes' double-century was a major factor in their victory - as the hosts brought a happy end to a run of five straight draws at home.

But paceman Olly Hannon-Dalby also played a big part, taking nine wickets in the match to keep on course for 50 in a season for the third year running.

After resuming on 157-3, Kent advanced comfortably enough to 171 before Hannon-Dalby hit them with a burst of three wickets for six runs in 14 balls.

Jack Leaning and the half-fit Muyeye were trapped leg before wicket by inswingers before Charlie Stobo edged his first ball to Rob Yates at second slip.

Ed Barnard then trapped Stewart lbw and followed up with the wicket of Matt Parkinson, who edged to wicketkeeper Michael Burgess.

Alfie Ogborne edged Michael Rae to slip before Joey Evison, running out of partners, lifted Barnard for six to reach a 93-ball half-century.

Evison batted impressively in both innings but, in another attempt to clear the ropes, he picked out Bears skipper Alex Davies at long-on off Michael Booth to be last out for 65.

Who's next?

The Bears are back in action next Friday night when they host Gloucestershire in their T20 Blast quarter-final at Edgbaston - before returning to Championship duty at New Road when they meet neighbours Worcestershire on Monday, 9 September.

Kent, who are out of the T20, now have a 10-day break before going into their final three Championship fixtures, 33 points adrift of safety.

They host Hampshire and Nottinghamshire before finishing the season against Durham at Chester-le-Street.

Warwickshire coach Mark Robinson told BBC Radio WM:

"Obviously this was a game you target due to where they are in the league and we needed to win as well so it was something we went all out to get.

"I've got a bit of empathy for Kent because they are in a difficult place and have lost a lot of players injured. They are probably the hardest-hit team in the country, but when a team is a little bit vulnerable like that you have got to go for the jugular.

"The first morning was key. To bundle them out for 150 really set the game for us and then it was all about being positive and trying to get a score and we did that around Will Rhodes' double century.

"Olly Hannon-Dalby will get the headlines and rightly so but Michael Rea's spell this morning was really hostile and backed him up brilliantly."

Kent coach Matt Walker told BBC Radio Kent:

“It’s the same problem unfortunately. We can’t get in games. First innings deficits are created by a lack of runs and then it's how we follow up with the bowling.

"Too often we’re out of the game very quickly and it’s happened again.

"They bowled pretty well but 156 was never going to be a score that would threaten them. Straight away after day one we were right on the back foot.

“We weren’t able to match what they did with the ball and leaked too many runs. That’s the difference between good sides and those who are struggling, the ability to apply pressure over and over again and we just can’t do it."