Minimal cheer on day one for Hampshire
Alex Davies continued his run-fuelled start to the Vitality County Championship season with an immense century as Warwickshire tyrannised Hampshire.
New Bears skipper Davies has already totted up 441 runs this season – over 60 per cent of the runs he managed in 2023 – with scores of 36, 256 and on this occasion 149 to lead from the front. He was partnered with equally high-scoring Rob Yates and Will Rhodes – who are up to 286 and 323 runs this campaign after 69 and 81 at the Utilita Bowl.
Warwickshire ended day one on 340-4 - with Liam Dawson's double and a wicket apiece for Kyle Abbott and Mohammad Abbas giving Hampshire minimal cheer.
Hampshire head coach Adi Birrell had forewarned the pitch had been designed to be identical to the season opener against Lancashire last week
– a match that petered out to a draw.
A change in ball from Kookaburra to Dukes had hoped to offer the bowlers more assistance but in fact it only helped the batters score quicker – especially with a short boundary on one side.
Davies’ decision to bat after winning the toss was a no-brainer. He and opening partner Yates tore into the overpitching Abbott early on – the South African went for 29 in his opening four overs as the opening stand whizzed past 50 inside 14 overs.
The duo were coming off the back of an epic 343-run stand against Worcestershire at Edgbaston last week.
As they raced to 114 by lunch, a similarly massive alliance looked likely, but Yates fell in the second over of the resumption as Abbott changed to over the wicket.