Preview: Warwickshire v Hampshire, County Championship

England Bear Chris Woakes is set to play his 100th First Class game for Warwickshire as the Bears return to red ball action against Hampshire.

briggford

2024-06-22T13:55:00.000Z

England Bear Chris Woakes is set to play his 100th First Class game for Warwickshire as the Bears return to red ball action against Hampshire.

Woakes made his First Class debut for Warwickshire aged 17 in August 2006, taking three wickets against a touring West Indies side.

He’s gone on to claim a further 361 red ball scalps for the Bears, including 14 five-fers and a best of 9-36 against Durham at Edgbaston in 2016.

And the 35-year-old is hungry for more as Mark Robinson’s side seek an elusive first County Championship win of the season.

Warwickshire First Team Coach Mark Robinson welcomed Woakes’ return and described him as a figurehead for the Club.

“He’s a symbol for Warwickshire,” added Robinson, “because we don’t have a recent history of producing world class seam bowlers. It’s something we’re looking at and are determined to put right.

“He’s also outstanding as a person, one of the best human beings you’ll ever meet. He’s very humble, open to chatting and sharing his experiences and advice with the younger bowlers to help them improve.”

Preview: Warwickshire v Hampshire, County Championship - Image 2

Warwickshire lie seventh in Division One with five draws and two defeats from the opening round of games.

“It’s been frustrating,” added Robinson, “because the Hampshire and Lancs away games we’d put ourselves in good positions to win but were denied by the weather. Wickets have generally been good, flat, and games affected by rain so it’s been hard to force results.

“It’s always a test switching from white to red ball. You’re going from the speed and adrenaline that T20 cricket provides – an atmosphere that gives players energy and a spark – to suddenly a ball that’s moving and there are 90-odd overs in a day.

“The schedule has been demanding and there are some tired minds. And of course red ball cricket is a game of ultimate concentration and decision making.

“So it’s hard but it’s the same for both sides. And at least we have a home game, no long trip on the road, so it allows for some extra rest.

“We’ll be doing the boring stuff, the process stuff! It’s important to get that right. Make the best decisions we can on the toss and team selection, set up to win the first hour, the first session, and the more little battles you win help you come out on top after four days.”

Pakistan seamer Hassan Ali misses the game due to an elbow injury while Chris Rushworth is struggling with a back problem.

Liam Norwell is returning to match fitness and comes into the squad, while fellow quicks Michael Booth and Craig Miles are both available. Kiwi fast bowler Michael Rae has not been called back into the squad.

Squad

Ed BarnardChris BenjaminJacob BethellMichael BoothDanny BriggsMichael Burgess (wk)Alex Davies (c)Sam HainOlly Hannon-DalbyCraig MilesDan MousleyLiam NorwellWill RhodesChris WoakesRob Yates

How to Follow

Members and supporters can follow the match live in our Match Centre at edgbaston.com, which will include a free to watch Live Stream, with BBC commentary, and a live text commentary. You can also see a ball-by-ball feed and watch highlights of all the action.

Supporters can get involved by sending their match day comments and thoughts on X (Twitter) via @WarwickshireCCC and we’ll publish the best ones on our live text commentary in the Match Centre.

Supporters can also watch the Live Stream and get instant push notifications of all wickets, innings and match results via the Edgbaston app, which is free to download on iOS and Android.

Match updates will also be available across the Club’s social media accounts, simply search for @WarwickshireCCC.