ENGLAND pair Ian Bell and Jonathan Trott could not lift their county’s flat one-day fortunes as Warwickshire finished their CB40 campaign with a five-wicket defeat to Northamptonshire.
The Steelbacks coasted past the Bears’ meagre 145 with 52 balls to spare at Edgbaston.
In a low-key contest, with neither side able to qualify for the semi-finals, the Bears rested key players while bringing in a blend of big cheeses and youngsters. Bell and Trott sought one-day practice while Ateeq Javid and Paul Best got a chance to shine.
The latter pair were more successful. After Warwickshire chose to bat, Trott fell lbw second ball while Bell reached 26 from 22 balls then skied to mid-off to give Dave Burton his third wicket.
The journeyman seamer had dismissed both openers in the first over, a double blow from which the Bears never recovered.
That they managed even 145 was due to Javid’s one-day best 34 (51 balls). Best contributed 12, an astute lower-order cameo much in the guise of Eddie Hemmings’ nifty 14 in this fixture in 1973.
Northamptonshire’s progress to their target met just one squall. Fit-again Rikki Clarke, on his way to his one-day best four for 28, took wickets with his first, seventh and eighth balls to leave the Steelbacks 65 for four, but Kyle Coetzer navigated his side home with an unbeaten 54 (64 balls).
■ Coventry’s Binley Road ground will host Warwickshire’s four-day Second XI Championship final against Glamorgan next Tuesday to Friday (September 6 to 9).
