MATCH PREVIEW: Warwickshire vs Lancashire
Lancashire are bidding to bounce back from last week’s narrow and thrilling defeat against Essex at Blackpool, their first defeat in 16 Championship matches dating back to last May.
Warwickshire v Lancashire
LV= Insurance County Championship, Division One
Wednesday July 19 - Saturday July 22, 2023, 11am
Edgbaston
A game to which both sides contributed so much was lost by 46 runs as the Red Rose valiantly chased a final day target of 430.
Lancashire are sixth in Division One having won two of eight matches so far, while Warwickshire are third with four wins from the same number of fixtures.
Warwickshire are 23 points behind leaders and champions Surrey with a game in hand.
The Bears claimed a three-day win over Kent at Canterbury last week, winning by an innings and 46 runs.
Opener Rob Yates scored an unbeaten 228, while former Lancashire overseas player Glenn Maxwell played and made a quick-fire 81 in the lower middle order.
This is the only Championship meeting between Lancashire and Warwickshire this season.
Opponents:
Warwickshire have mounted a title challenge having only just avoided relegation from Division One on the final day of the 2022 season, beating Hampshire in a thriller on the back of nine wickets for seamer Liam Norwell.
Now, they sit on the coat tails of leading duo Surrey (139 points) and Essex (116) with a game in hand on both. The Bears, as aforementioned, have won four of eight games so far this season.
Their charge has been led by former Durham seamer Chris Rushworth, who arrived at Edgbaston in the winter. He is the joint leading wicket-taker across both divisions of the Championship alongside Nottinghamshire’s Brett Hutton and former Durham team-mate Ben Raine.
Sam Hain is their leading run-scorer with 568 runs from seven appearances.
The Bears, champions in 2021, are coached by former England women’s coach Mark Robinson, while their director of cricket is former New Zealand all-rounder Gavin Larson. He only joined the county at the start of the summer.
Former Lancashire wicketkeeper batter Alex Davies is playing as a specialist batter, with Michael Burgess taking the gloves.
Opposing player to watch:
If they’re going to win this one, Keaton Jennings and his Lancashire side will have to navigate the challenge posed by experienced new ball seamer Chris Rushworth, who has taken 41 wickets in eight appearances this summer - his first at Edgbaston.
It shocked many when Durham legend Rushworth, aged 37, announced that he would be leaving the North East last October due to “personal circumstances”.
But Durham’s loss has very much been Warwickshire’s gain.
Rushworth is now only six wickets away from 650 in his first-class career. He has a best of 7-38 to his name already this season.
However, the Sunderland-born seamer has a rival for his Division One leading wicket-taker tag, with Lancashire’s Tom Bailey only four behind on 37 after a superb season of his own.
Previous meeting:
Luke Wells was Lancashire’s hero at Edgbaston last June as his stunning final day 175 not out helped to secure a four-wicket win over Warwickshire.
The Red Rose had been set a target of 329 to win, and closed day three on 5-0.
Left-handed opener Wells then anchored a chase which was not without alarm given the score had fallen to 93-4 in the early stages of the afternoon.
The opener shared 162 for the fifth wicket with Rob Jones, who chipped in with a valuable 66 as the win was secured inside 96 overs. George Balderson also added a late unbeaten 33, but Wells was the star with 22 fours and a six in 265 balls.
It remains his highest score for the county.
The match started with Warwickshire electing to bat and bowled out for 292 on day one. Will Williams claimed 2-42 from 24 overs on his Lancashire debut and Sam Hain hit 130 for the hosts.
The Red Rose then responded with 291 all out into the early stages of day three. Steven Croft top-scored with 90 and Warwickshire’s Liam Norwell claimed 5-78.
Williams then returned 4-70 as the Bears, leading by one run, posted 327-9 declared, including 121 at the top of the order for Alex Davies. Then it was over to wonderful Wells.
How’s Stat!
Lancashire are unbeaten in 12 matches away from home in the Championship since they lost to Notts at Trent Bridge in September 2021. Since then, they have won six and drawn six.