Trott ton has Durham on the back foot
Jonathan Trott scored an unbeaten century to put Warwickshire in a strong position on 297-5 after the opening day of their day/night Specsavers County Championship Division Two match against Durham.
The 37-year-old displayed patience at the crease to score his second hundred of the season at Emirates Riverside after previously reaching three figures in Warwickshire’s Royal London One-Day Cup victory in the North East.
Matt Salisbury led the way for Durham with the ball, taking three wickets. However, it was a frustrating day in the field for the home side.
Warwickshire won the toss and elected to bat first against the Dukes pink ball. Salisbury notchED the wicket of Will Rhodes after the opener edged to Tom Latham at second slip.
Ian Bell came to the crease having made three centuries in his last four first-class innings. He scored three boundaries with relative ease, but was out going for another drive to the fence, drilling his effort straight at Cameron Steel at backward point.
Trott brought a sense of calm to the innings as he and Dominic Sibley ensured that there were no further dismissals before the first break. However, four deliveries after the restart Sibley was pinned lbw by Rushworth.
Adam Hose survived an inside edge off Salisbury by millimetres. The bowler returned in the following over to remove Hose, who top edged a rising delivery and Ryan Davies did brilliantly racing back towards the fine leg boundary to make the catch.
Tim Ambrose survived an lbw appeal from Nathan Rimmington but provided assistance for Trott, who reached his fifty off 94 deliveries. Together the duo were able to manipulate the softening pink ball around the outfield to reach their 50 partnership.
As Durham’s bowlers began to tire, Trott and Ambrose increased the intensity. Their 100 partnership arrived 179 deliveries, while both batsmen closed in on landmarks at the crease. Ambrose reached his 50 first in 112 balls with a gentle nudge before the new ball.
Ambrose received another life as he edged a delivery just past his stumps before Trott notched his century. He caressed a full ball from Rushworth through the covers to score his 45th first-class hundred, in 187 balls.
Ambrose was dropped by Collingwood off Rushworth on 67, but it proved not to be costly as the wicket-keeper clipped a leg glance to Gareth Harte, ending the 135-run partnership. Salisbury could have ended the day with a fourth scalp, only for Latham to drop Keith Barker at second slip, which allowed the visitors to end the day five down.