Bears in control against Worcs despite Brookes knock
Worcestershire's Ethan Brookes hit an unbeaten 80 on day one at Edgbaston
- Published
Rothesay County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day one)
Worcestershire 262-8: Brookes 80*, D'Oliveira 57; Bamber 2-47, Barnard 2-47
Warwickshire: Yet to bat
Worcs (1 pt), Warks (2 pts)
Ethan Brookes led the resistance against his old club as Worcestershire toiled after choosing to bat against Warwickshire in the County Championship derby at Edgbaston.
Worcestershire closed the first day on 262-8 with Brookes unbeaten on 80 having taken responsibility after the fall of captain Brett D'Oliveira (57) left his side on an unconvincing 175-5.
D'Oliveira had won the toss and chosen to bat on a good pitch but in perfect seam-bowling conditions with moisture in the air, grey cloud overhead and moderate light. Run-scoring was never easy against an attack led by former Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber who both ended the day with 2-47.
Even with the Kookaburra ball, the conditions were testing for batters and openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby added an uneasy 32 but then fell in successive overs. Both nicked nicely shaped outswingers to wicketkeeper Kai Smith; Roderick off Barnard and Libby off Bamber.
Kashif Ali struck his first two balls to the off-side boundary but added just three more runs from the next 29 balls before going back to Barnard and falling lbw to one that kept a little low.
Adam Hose (40) and D'Oliveira dug in to steady the innings, at one stage two runs coming from six overs before Hose pulled a rare loose ball from Bamber into the Hollies Stand.
Three weeks ago, Hose smashed a dazzling, stroke-strewn 266 from 253 balls against Hampshire in Southampton. Care and caution were key this time in a partnership of 59 from 23 overs which ended when Hose hesitated when called for a single by D'Oliveira and was beaten by Barnard's throw.
D'Oliveira, on the ground where he made his first-class debut 13 years earlier, batted with good judgment and determination to try to vindicate his toss decision. He reached his 24th first-class half-century (from 137 balls) but then edged Beau Webster, back with the Bears after Australia duty, to Smith.
Tom Taylor played across a straight one from Taz Ali and was lbw. Brookes and Ben Allison added 46 but were parted by the new ball when the latter edged Bamber to slip.
That brought in debutant Bertie Foreman, signed on a two-week loan deal from Sussex, but he made little headway with the bat before edging Olly Hannon-Dalby to second slip.
Brookes saw the day through before the light - never good - closed in. The all-rounder will have his sights set on his second first-class century tomorrow if the tail can stick in there with him.
Report supplied by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay
