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Bears Growl Into Strong Lead

3-111
By Dave Buxton
April 23 2003
Essex endured a tough day at Edgbaston, as Warwickshire piled up 411-7 at stumps on day 1 of the latest Championship match. It could have been better for Ronnie's men, but Dougie Brown & promising Jim Troughton recorded tons in a big 6th wicket partnership. Scott Brant took 3-111 in a good spell.
WARWICKSHIRE VS ESSEX - Day 1 Report

COMPETITION: Frizzell County Championship, Division 1

DATE: Weds 23rd - Sat 26th April, 2003

Edgbaston, Birmingham

STATE OF PLAY: Warwickshire are 411 ahead with 3 first innings wickets in hand

The sun was out again and Essex travelled to Birmingham for a tough sceond match of the season.

As predicted, Graham Napier started in the only change from the Middlesex match. The toss was lost again by Irani and the oppo' once again decided to bat.

Last week the loss of the toss didn't prove too costly, but today against arguably stronger oppostion, the Essex bowlers were made to pay.

Former Brentwood man Nick Knight started off with a blaze of shots and infact gave a half chance first ball of the match off Scott Brant. However, his slash evaded two gullies and flew to the boundary.

While he raced to 26, keeper Tony Frost at the other end was more sedate from more good Jon Dakin bowling and took until the sixth over of the day to get off the mark.

With Frost then beginning to find his stride, Essex needed a breakthrough. Cometh the hour, cometh Ronnie Irani and the captain got rid of his England one-day team-mate lbw with a ball that swung in late and had Knight caught in front of all three.

That was 44-1 and then out came Mark Wagh to join Frost. Together, they were cruising and added 78 together for the second wicket.

However, Frost gave Essex chances and again they weren't taken. When on 30, he hooked Napes and Brant at long-leg ran but couldn't hold onto a difficult chance. Then when he made only 7 more, he then pulled James Middlerbrook to Paul Grayson at square-leg, but this easier chance also went a begging.

He punished the attack, going to 59 including a straight six off Midders and at 122-1 there were problems with Warks going at a good rate.

But in the last over before lunch, Brant returned to induced an edge from Wagh's bat and Fossy again dived smartly to his right and held onto an excellent catch to get rid of Wagh for 32 and then lunch was taken, with Essex back in it at 122-2 to the hosts.

That wicket gave Essex renewed hope and after the break, although Ian Bell came out and played agressively, three more quick wickets put Essex in charge.

Brant was the man, with two of the three, getting key wickets of Frost caught behind by Foster thanks to another smart catch and then Bell (18) lbw with a full-length ball to leave The Bears 154-4.

Further joy also, with the third quick wicket of Dominic Ostler for 18 too, in the same way as Bell went, excpet it was Jon Dakin who was the bowler this time.

At 176-5 Essex had made an excellent recovery, but then something happened we thought we'd got rid of. Yes, getting sides 5,6,7 down and letting them off the hook.

And so it happened again, as Jim Troughton and Dougie Brown combined to add a record 201 for the sixth wicket, a record for Warks sixth wicket vs Essex.

Troughton is an England prospect and he played second fiddle to Brown, who coached Namibia in the recent World Cup, as he caught up and overtook the left-hander, by smashing his way to 120 off 157 balls.

After Graham Napier managed success to have Brown lbw, Troughton went onto his ton also, a classy hundred himself and ended the day on 107 not out.

There was another wicket for Essex to celebrate, as Ronnie returned to the attack to bowl his opposite number Ashley Giles for just 1 (386-7) which brought Mo Sheikh to the crease to hit a quickfire unbeaten 17, as Warwicks ended day 1 on top with 411-7 from the days allotted 104 overs.

Scott Brant was Essex's pick, with 25-4-111-3 and Irani returned 19-5-51-2, but generally, it was hard going on a decent track in the sun.

Much work needed tomorrow for our lads. Must finish off the last three wickets and then get to work with the willow. Troughton is a key wicket to get. However, with the forecast set to get worse and our strong batting, the predicted draw looks likely, despite the hosts being in full control.

SCIMITARS MAN-OF-THE-DAY:

Scott Brant - Toiled hard for 3-111 and bowled with accuracy and swing.

MATCH INDEX - For all the links; scorecard, match details, reports and pictures.

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Date: 23/4/03

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