Warwickshire lose by 9 wickets to Somerset

• 26/05/2010

Warwickshire were bowled out for 207 in their second innings after lunch on the third day and Somerset 45-1 completed their victory by nine wickets

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DAY 3

Murali Kartik extinguished any lingering hopes of success Warwickshire may have held on the third morning, as he quickly removed the two overnight batsmen, Troughton and Clarke, both lbw to attempted sweep shots and followed up with the wickets of Ambrose, Woakes and Botha as the middle-order collapsed against him.

Imran with some long handle hitting gave Warwickshire a token lead before the return of the seamers, brought a quick conclusion to events, as Somerset were set just forty five to win.

They were within a single of doing so when Trescothick was bowled by Imran, but it was only a temporary hiccup for the home side as they completed a facile victory by nine wickets with more than a day and a half to spare.

DAY 2

Three wickets for Warwickshire in the morning session of the second day was scant reward for a very good overall bowling performance, led by Andy miller who beat the bat on countless occasions.
He did get the one wicket when Suppiah’s fine edge went to Ambrose for sixty four, but then Hildreth and Buttler held the Bears up until Maddy had Buttler caught behind by Ambrose standing up for twenty four.
Maddy struck again when Trego 1 was taken at slip by Clarke, but with Hildreth still there on ninety eight, Somerset went to the interval on 236-6 with a lead of one hundred and nine.

Phillips went to Clarke's first ball after lunch and after completing his third century of the season Hildreth was finally dismissed when Rankin's short delivery was pulled high to long-leg where Miller took a superb catch.

Miller then wrapped up the Somerset innings, taking the wickets of Kartik and Willoughby to finish with figures of 5-72, his second five wicket haul in successive matches as the home side closed with a first innings lead of one hundred and sixty three.

The Bears had another poor start when they began their second innings, losing Westwood 1 to a top edged pull to long-leg but as in the first innings, Maddy ad Chopra put together a second half-century partnership, with Maddy completing his own fifty before both men were out with the total on ninety nine, before the Bears closed the second day on 111-3 still trailing by fifty two runs.
 

DAY 1

Somerset won the toss at Taunton and invited Warwickshire to bat first on a cloudless opening morning and were quickly a wicket down when skipper Ian Westwood 4, edged Phillips to ‘keeper Butler, standing in for Kieswetter, who was visiting the Prime Minister with the victorious England Twenty20 World cup winning squad.
Varun Chopra was dropped early in his innings and after looking unsettled early on, started to play shots and with Darren Maddy added fifty seven for the second wicket before he mistimed an on-side shot off Thomas to mid-wicket, for forty five.
Maddy followed almost immediately afterwards, edging a Thomas full delivery to Kartik at slipfor thirteen and when Thomas had Clarke 7, lbw and bowled Ambrose 0 before lunch, the Bears were in serious trouble on 80-5 at the interval.

It was no easier for the Bears after lunch as Botha 4 was comprehensively bowled by Phillips and Troughton 22, dragged a ball from Willoughby into his leg stump.
Imran Tahir, Boyd Rankin and finally Chris Woakes were all bowled as the Bears innings closed on 127 with former Warwickshire player, Alfonso Thomas picking up five wickets.

In the fourteen overs before tea, Andy Miller struck twice, removing Marcus Trescothick with a sharp one handed diving return catch and just before tea, Compton edged to Ambrose as Somerset went into tea on 35-2, trailing by ninety two runs.

Zander de Bruyn looked to be a real threat, hitting out with confidence, before the introduction of Imran brought his demise when turning a ball into the hands of Chopra at short-leg for thirty four.

Suppiah, now partnered by Hildreth, completed his half-century and the fourth wicket pair batted through to the close without too many scares, closing the opening day on 145-3 with an overall lead of eighteen