Oli bags first 6-for as Bears steady the ship
MATT Lamb top-scored with 65 as Warwickshire were made to battle hard for a first innings lead on the second day of the Bob Willis Trophy match with Gloucestershire at the Bristol County Ground.
Going in with his side 55 for three in reply to 210, Lamb faced 193 balls and hit 12 fours to help the visitors to 230 for eight at the close of a day of attritional cricket on a slow pitch.
The start of play had seen Oliver Hannon-dalby complete careerbest figures of six for 33 from 23.3 overs by taking the two remaining Gloucestershire wickets after they resumed their first innings on 191 for eight.
Tom Smith ensured the home side of a batting point with 24 not out, but Josh Shaw and Matt Taylor fell to the tall seamer, again bowling accurately from the Ashley Down Road
End. It was Hannon-dalby’s first sixwicket haul in a first class innings.
Warwickshire’s reply began poorly when Rob Yates appeared to edge a low catch to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick in the opening over from Ryan Higgins, but in fact was adjudged leg-before for a duck.
It was 15 for two when Sam Hain, on eight, fell lbw playing across a straight ball from Taylor and Gloucestershire’s seamers struck again in the final over before lunch when Ian Bell edged George Scott to George Hankins at second slip to fall for 13.
Warwickshire skipper Will Rhodes looked solid in progressing to 41 in the afternoon session as the sun began to shine, but he was undone when Ben Charlesworth was introduced to the attack.
The 19-year-old, who bats lefthanded, but bowls right-arm seam, yorked Rhodes with his fourth ball to end an innings that had spanned 107 deliveries and featured six fours.
Lamb employed sensible shot selection to be unbeaten on 43 at tea, which was taken at 133 for four, with Michael Burgess on 14. Gloucestershire needed an early breakthrough in the final session. Instead, a flurry of boundaries from the fourth-wicket pair advanced the Warwickshire total as they looked to adopt a more positive approach. They had added 69 in 20 overs when Burgess was bowled off an inside edge by Scott (two for 34). A further 28 runs had been added when Lamb edged Higgins (two for 47) to first slip where Chris Dent took a good low catch.
Tim Bresnan was looking to follow up a century on debut for the visitors and the experienced former Yorkshire all-rounder looked more comfortable than most on the testing pitch. There was just enough swing to encourage the bowlers as their opponents secured a batting point and closed in on their total.
Bresnan was unbeaten on 34 at stumps, having faced 75 balls and hit 4 fours. But Taylor (three for 48) struck twice in the penultimate over of the day, clean bowling Alex Thomson, playing no shot, for 15 and Henry Brookes for a duck as Gloucestershire ended on a high.
Hannon-dalby said: “It was the first time I have managed better than a five-for in an innings so it is a landmark for me as well as a career-best. I’m delighted. We expected a turgid pitch and were surprised to see how green it was when we first arrived. But it soon turned out to be as expected and it was necessary to be patient and keep plugging away. The batsmen who went in towards the end of the day said it was still doing a bit for the bowlers, so any lead we can get should be important.”