Rewind: Northamptonshire v Warwickshire, 1989

Players who've crossed the Bears Pears divide

With pitches firm and dry, runs are flowing in the County Championship in 2022, so Warwickshire's visit to Northampton to face Northamptonshire starting on Sunday is unlikely to replicate their meeting there in 1989.

chrisa

2022-06-25T15:00:00.000Z

The Bears were bowled out for a meagre 191, but won by an innings.

On a lively track, seam-bowlers dominated throughout but while two of the greatest of the genre - Allan Donald and Curtly Ambrose - were playing, it was a great batsman who delivered the match-winning .performance.

After Northamptonshire were bowled out in their first innings for 51, Alvin Kallicharran, playing his 254th championship match for the Bears, 17 years after his debut, scored a truly brilliant century against the lifting, moving ball.

Northamptonshire chose to bat and reached 39 for two before losing their last eight wickets for 12 runs. Allan Donald and Gladstone Small took one wicket apiece up top before the change bowlers produced the devastating bursts: Tim Munton 11-4-13-5 and Dermot Reeve 7.3-6-3-3.

A high class Northants top order, including Geoff Cook, Wayne Larkins and Rob Bailey, was picked apart. Only the resolute Mark Robinson, nought not out, eluded dismissal.

The home side hoped that Ambrose could mete out similar damage and he duly removed openers Jason Ratcliffe and Andy Lloyd to leave the Bears three for two. Kallicharran responded with the confidence and brilliance of a man who averaged 44 in 66 Tests for the Wes Indies in an era of great fast bowlers around the world.

Pulling and cutting savagely, Kalli charged to 100 out of 191. Of the other Bears, only Keith Piper (28) passed 20 as Ambrose took six for 22.

The pitch had not eased when Northants, trailing by 140, went in again and were all out for 109. Donald took three for 37, Small two for 45 and Munton one for seven before Paul Smith rounded off the rout in spectacular fashion. Northants were 109 for seven when Smith sent Nick Cook, Ambrose and Robinson packing with successive balls.

The hat-trick left Smith with four for nine in 22 balls and completed a match much enjoyed by bowlers but which was settled by glorious batsmanship. Kalli scored 52 first class centuries for the Bears but the one he unfurled, six months past his 40th birthday, at Northampton was perhaps the best of all.