Finals Day is the goal, says Elliott
Jeets comes back to Wellington I get to hear all about them. Listening to how passionately he speaks about the club and his pride in being part of the Bears excited me and made me want to come over and see it for myself.
“Edgbaston has some good memories for me. My ODI debut was there when the game was cut two balls short with us ahead on D/L. I took a few wickets that day so it is quite a special ground for me. Also, my first Test was against Belly and in those days we used to mix quite well with the opposition, especially the English lads and the South African guys. We tended to spend time in their changing rooms.
“It’s nice to be over here for my third stint in county cricket after spells with Surrey and Leicestershire and I’m keen to make this my home for the next two years.”
Elliott believes he has joined a Bears squad capable of challenging hard in their North Group campaign which starts with a double-header this weekend, at Worcester tomorrow then at home to Notts Outlaws on Saturday (6pm).
“Finals Day is the goal,” he said. “In England the comp runs for two months instead of four to six weeks like most, so we might have players coming in and out of the team, but we’ve got a great squad and it’s going to be exciting.
“If we can go out there and relax and have a bit of fun and just let people play their natural games without any fear we have got a very strong team.”
No-one is stronger than De Grandhomme who is looking forward to adding to his career tally of fours and sixes, this time on the Bears’ behalf.
“I had a decent summer back home in New Zealand and am stoked to get an opportunity at a great club like Warwickshire,” he said. “It’s my first county gig and I’m really looking forward to it. I have met the guys and they seem all good and I can’t wait to get started.
“Twenty20 cricket is a fun game, high-intensity and always on the go, so really enjoyable.
“I try to be positive from ball one and to put a bit of pressure back on the opponents. Hopefully I can come off and do my job and the team will do well.” A COMPELLING last day is in prospect at Edgbaston today where Middlesex will resume on the final morning of their crucial County Championship tussle with Warwickshire on 36 for two, needing 234 to win.
After both teams totalled 334 in their first innings, the third day saw Jonathan Trott, captaining Warwickshire with Ian Bell sidelined by a sore elbow, prop up his side’s second innings with 99 (199 balls, six fours and a six).
Trott defied skilfully on a pitch offering some variable bounce and against a Middlesex attack which performed admirably to compensate for the absence of Steve Finn and Toby RolandJones. Tom Helm led the way with his maiden five-for, bowling with pace and aggression to take the first two wickets and the last three to end with five for 59. Victory here would be a huge boost to either side in their survival battle, and the match is intriguingly poised going into the final day with all results still possible.
After Middlesex resumed on 302 for six, they added only another 32. Steve Eskinazi’s career-best 179 (243 balls, 24 fours, three sixes) was ended by Keith Barker’s first ball of the morning which knocked out offstump.
Ollie Rayner played on to Barker before Rikki Clarke had Helm caught by Andy Umeed at first slip and Tim Murtagh caught behind.
Warwickshire’s second innings was quickly damaged by Helm whose excellent new-ball spell accounted for William Porterfield, caught at second slip, and Andy Umeed, lbw.
After Trott and Sam Hain (37, 62 balls, four fours) added 63, Middlesex struck twice again when Hain edged Ryan Higgins to second slip and Matt Lamb nicked James Harris behind.
That was 85 for four but Trott and Ambrose (44, 61 balls, three fours) knuckled down to add 94 in 23.3 overs before Ambrose fell lbw to Dawid Malan in the last over before tea.
Murtagh removed Clarke with a ball which exploded off a length and looped off the bat to gully. Barker clipped Malan to mid-wicket and then Helm returned to wrap up the tail with three wickets – Trott, who pulled a short ball straight to Nick Compton at mid-wicket, Jeetan Patel and George Panayi – in eight balls. In 13 overs before the close, Middlesex lurched to one for two after Sam Robson fell lbw to Clarke, completing a pair, and Eskinazi edged Barker to Ambrose, but Malan and Compton saw it calmly through to the close.
Warwickshire captain Jonathan Trott said: “It will be interesting tomorrow. There is still a bit of movement there so if we can bowl well and set the right field and take our catches we’ll have a chance.
“The pitch is cracking a little bit and it will stay pretty warm under the covers tonight so hopefully will deteriorate a little bit more. There’s a little bit of weather around tomorrow so who knows.
“We were in a good position at teatime but then scored only 60 runs for five wickets.
“We have just got to go out there tomorrow and take the initiative and get our first championship win of the season.”