Notts' Clarke first past 1,000 with ton against Bears
Edgbaston is Joe Clarke's home ground while The Hundred is on and the Nottinghamshire number four is representing Birmingham Phoenix [Getty Images] Rothesay County Championship, Edgbaston (day two) Nottinghamshire 299-7: Clarke 146*, Martindale 55; Bamber 2-63 Warwickshire: Yet to bat Warwickshire 2 pts, Notts 1 pt Match scorecard Joe Clarke became the first player to reach 1,000 County Championship runs this season as Warwickshire and Nottinghamshire got going on another rain-affected day at Edgbaston. After a first-day washout, this time there were 82 overs bowled as Notts reached 299-7 among the rain breaks as Clarke scored a high-class unbeaten 146, supported by a maiden first-class half-century by Ben Martindale (55) and an important 32 from Lyndon James. Warwickshire's seamers, led by the hard-working Ethan Bamber, bowled well for much of the day - but, with further rain forecast for the next two days, this meeting of third against first in Division One is likely to be only a battle for bonus points. Troughton to return to Edgbaston as batting coach Without the rested Chris Woakes, both Bears opening bowlers struck early. Olly Hannon-Dalby forced Haseeb Hameed to edge to second slip where Rob Yates held on, and Freddie McCann emulated his captain's 10-ball duck when Bamber hit his off stump. At 17-2, Martindale, deputising for the injured Ben Slater and playing only his second first-class match, needed to stay strong - and he did. Bolstered by three fours in a Bamber over, he put on 88 in 23 overs with Clarke before falling in the last over before lunch. Dan Mousley called upon to supply the obligatory over of pre-interval spin, flighted a ball onto the 23-year-old's toe to win an lbw decision. Jack Haynes soon edged Bamber to offer Yates his 26th catch of the season and Kyle Verreynne was unlucky to be adjudged lbw to an Ed Barnard delivery which looked leg-side. That left the reigning champions on an uneasy 148-5 but James settled in alongside Clarke, whose 89th ball took the 30-year-old former Shropshire and Worcestershire player to 1,000 runs for the season - for only the third time. The sixth-wicket partnership added 72 from 23 overs, mostly in moderate light, before James feathered a pull at Michael Booth to wicketkeeper Alex Davies before a lively unbroken late stand of 43 with debutant New Zealand fast bowler Fraser Sheat (27 not out). Report by ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay. Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
News Source : Yahoo Sports and Read the full article →




