WARWICKS V ENGLAND

03/07/2009

The match between Warwickshire and an England XI ended in a draw after much of the final day was lost to rain

Main photograph

Paul Collingwood practices for his tennis forehand

All photographs by Phil Britt and Roger Wootton

DAY 3

England completed a satisfactory build-up to the start of the Ashes series declaring 507 runs ahead on 319 for three after Ravi Bopara claimed another century and both Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior reached 50 following a delayed start to the third and final day at Edgbaston because of steady rain.

Tim Ambrose reaches for a high return throw

Nearly all the leading batsman made runs in the drawn practice match with Warwickshire with only Kevin Pietersen and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who only batted once, as the only players from their likely top seven for next week's opening Test in Cardiff to have failed to have passed fifty during the last three days as the game fizzled out into a draw with Warwickshire on 27 for three.

Ravi Bopara is congratulated by Paul Collingwood on his hundred

England had resumed on 185 for two when rain finally ceased in mid-afternoon and Bopara, who had scored centuries in his last three Test appearances for England, continued that sequence by progressing from 88 overnight to another hundred, hitting13 fours and a six in his innings before retiring as out at the end of that over to allow Sussex wicketkeeper Prior an opportunity to spend time at the crease.

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Collingwood looked particularly scratchy during the early part of his innings, but delivered another determined knock to finish unbeaten on 79 after over two hours at the crease.

The declaration at tea left the spectators under the impression they were going to push for victory in the minimum of 29 overs remaining in the final session and England certainly seemed to set off with that intent with Stuart Broad removing Warwickshire captain Ian Westwood in the sixth over of their reply and Jim Troughton was run out later in the same over.

Javid loses his wicket to Flintoff

Ateeq Javid, edged Flintoff to first slip, but with a potential 17 overs remaining, both sides accepted the draw

The England players applaud the crowd at the end of the match

Tim Ambrose and Matt Prior leave the pitch together

DAY 2

England were firmly in control of their warm-up match ahead of the Ashes after James Anderson took a five-wicket haul against Warwickshire at Edgbaston

James Anderson with 5 wickets

Resuming on 31-1 Warwickshire were undone by the pace and bounce of the Lancashire seamer who claimed 5-34 to dismiss the Bears for 102 and establish a 188-run first-innings lead and despite some encouraging bowling displays from Andrew Flintoff 2-16 and Monty Panesar 3-10 it was Anderson , who stole the show.

Andrew Flintoff fires another quick delivery in

By the end of the second day England had established a 373-run advantage after Strauss and Bopara each made half centuries as the Bears' attack struggled to make breakthroughs in the hot afternoon sunshine.

Tim Ambrose is bowled by James Anderson to become one of his five victims

Anderson began Warwickshire's collapse early in the morning session when Jonathan Trott edged behind, having already survived a dropped catch in the gully off Flintoff three overs earlier.

Ateeq Javid receives an early "welcome to the wicket" message

And another!!

For a short time, his efforts were overshadowed by a hostile six-over spell from Flintoff, who finished with impressive figures of 2-16, but Anderson then took out Tim Ambrose's off-stump and removed 17-year-old Ateeq Javid and Rikki Clarke in a three-over spell to complete his five-wicket haul and confirm his sharpness for the Ashes.

Chris Woakes steers Panesar to Strauss' waiting hands

Panesar then claimed 3-10, against Warwickshire's lower order, dismissing them quickly and giving England an opportunity to bat again with Bopara opening with Strauss who was dropped at slip on 23 but recovered to score a determined 61 before giving emerging seamer Chris Woakes a smart return catch.

Monty Panesar jumps for joy after bowling Keith Barker

Barker is bowled

Kevin Pietersen had a chance to make amends for his first innings score of one but again failed to make an impression, guiding tall paceman Boyd Rankin to second slip before Paul Collingwood, who had also struggled in the first innings, fared better on day two with an unbeaten 21.

Boyd Rankin captures the wicket of Kevin Pieterson

Andrew Strauss drives on his way to fifty

DAY 1

A determined century from Alistair Cook was the sole ray of comfort as England struggled to dominate the opening day of their warm-up match against Warwickshire at Edgbaston

The Essex left-hander hit 124 to help England end day one of their three-day match, 259 runs in front, after captain Andrew Strauss declared England’s innings on 290 for eight from 78 overs and James Anderson had Ian Westwood caught behind before the close when Warwickshire were 31 for one.

Cook celebrates his century

Batting on a strip positioned towards the Tom Dollery Stand, Cook looked in confident form from the beginning, hitting 21 boundaries in his innings, spanning nearly four hours

Alistair Cook pulls for four on the way to a century on the opening day at Edgbaston

On a scorching day, England were generously put in to bat by Bears' skipper, Ian Westwood with a Warwickshire side missing Ian Bell, Neil Carter and injured overseas player Jeetan Patel, and made a solid start as Cook and Strauss forged a 61-run opening stand.

That partnership was broken by 26-year-old seamer Naqaash Tahir, who tempted Strauss into driving at a full-length ball which he edged to Rikki Clarke at second slip. He had already been given one reprieve when he was dropped by Tony Frost at second slip after edging left-arm seamer Keith Barker on 20.

Ravi Bopara cuts to the backward point boundary, before losing his wicket to Rankin

Cook then teamed up with Essex team-mate Ravi Bopara in a 101-run partnership which guided England into mid-afternoon before, Bopara was caught at deep midwicket pulling Ireland seamer Boyd Rankin.

Ateeq Javid holds on to the catch to dismiss Bopara

Kevin Pietersen after struggling for almost fifteen minutes at the crease to score one, fell four overs later when he pushed at all-rounder Rikki Clarke and gave a catch to second slip that Frost this time held on to

Cook followed two overs before the tea interval when he edged behind to Ambrose off Trott's medium-pace, beginning a mini collapse of five wickets for 77 runs

It's the end of the road for Collingwood as his stumps fly to Barker

An out-of-sorts, Paul Collingwood 16 was bowled by Keith Barker, earning him his maiden first-class wicket, and then Tahir 3-54

Naqaash Tahir with a welcome return to form, taking 3-54

accounted for Prior 10 and Flintoff 19 in quick succession before later catching Graeme Swann 14 to give Clarke his second wicket. Stuart Broad was unbeaten on 22 as Andrew Strauss declared with England on 290-8

Tim Ambrose and Matt Prior, two England wicketkeepers

Anderson, who opened the bowling with Broad, made England’s sole breakthrough, having an unhappy Westwood 2 caught by Prior before the close when Warwickshire were 31-1 with opener Frost three and Trott eighteen

Stuart Broad opened the bowling for England with James Anderson