Jonathan Trott century helps Warwickshire fight back against Sussex
Jul 9 2009 by Brian Halford, Birmingham Mail
JONATHAN Trott supplied the backbone for a spirited Warwickshire fightback which earned them full batting points from their championship match against Sussex.
Trott struck 166 (247 balls, 20 fours) – his 16th first-class century and fourth against Sussex – as the Bears totalled an imposing 407 at Edgbaston.
They would have happily settled for that total when, after after an hour’s play yesterday, they were in disarray at 16 for three from 14 overs.
Skipper Ian Westwood edged into the slips for five and Ian Bell departed, somewhat unluckily, caught down the leg-side, as former Bears paceman Corey Collymore delivered an aggressive spell of 8-5-9-2.
But Trott looked in prime form from the moment he clipped his first ball for four and he spent the day advancing to a chanceless century, abetted by a string of team-mates.
Trott added 55 with Jim Troughton and, after the latter was dismissed in freak fashion, stumped when the ball bounced back off the wicketkeeper’s ankle, 69 with Tim Ambrose, 72 with Rikki Clarke and 96 with Ant Botha.
The spirited collective effort took the Bears to 369 for nine last night and today Chris Woakes and Naqaash Tahir carried on the good work. The last pair added 65 for the tenth wicket, raising the last two batting points, as Woakes struck a championship-best 49 not out and Tahir hit 22 before chipping a return catch to spinner Ollie Rayner.
Trott’s innings was another worthy addition to his fine season in all formats. The leading scorer in this season’s Twenty20, yesterday he shed every vestige of improvisation and batted with orthodox efficiency, particularly harsh on anything short or leg-side.
Of his partners, Bell and Troughton departed regretting their luck and Ambrose and Clarke cursing themselves after loose drives truncated innings of promise. Clarke, in particular, in his first championship knock since early May, looked in fine fettle and his huge six over the Ryder Stand off Rayner was the shot of the day.
When he perished, Warwickshire were 212 for six and still in jeopardy but Botha settled in to play the kind of tenacious innings which has become the trademark.
His partnership of 96 in 29 overs with Trott supplied the Bears’ seamers something to hang their hat on today and Sussex reached 56 for one at lunch, Chris Nash having lifted Tahir to point in the last over before the interval.
