MATCH REPORT: Three wickets for Bailey on a rain-shortened day against Warwicks
Tom Bailey made an impactful return to the Lancashire side taking all three wickets to fall on a rain-shortened opening day in this Vitality County Championship match against Warwickshire with the visitors making 89 for three from the 39 overs bowled.
It was a slow and, at times, attritional day as the visitors – having won the toss – made steady progress, with just 40 scoring shots coming off the 234 balls bowled.
The Warwickshire captain Alex Davies is unbeaten on 47 having hit 7 fours with Dan Mousley 1 not out.
Bailey, left out of the team at Blackpool last week, first struck in the eleventh over of a day in which rain prevented play until 2.10pm.
The tall Red Rose bowler angled the ball back into Rob Yates from around the wicket to bowl the left-hand batter for 19 offering no shot.
That was the only wicket of the session to fall with Davies and Will Rhodes reaching the break in a much better position of 73 for one.
Two wickets in 14 balls by Bailey soon after the resumption changed the complexion of the day.
Will Rhodes inside edged behind to Matty Hurst for 14 followed in identical fashion by Ed Barnard who rather fenced at a delivery outside off stump after making two.
Moments later rain arrived to take the players from the field and once it stopped bad light prevented any further action with play abandoned at 6.15 pm.
“I thought we started pretty well,” said Tom Bailey.
“Coming off a good win last week, we’ve taken that momentum into today,” he added.
Bailey revealed that Lancashire would have batted if they had won the toss, but said: “It’s a good pitch and I was quite surprised with the carry we had today.
“It’s a used pitch and I think our spinners will make the most of that.
“It will get harder to bat on as the game goes on.”
Three wickets today was a boost to the tall seam bowler who said: “It’s not been a great start for me.
“So it was nice for Benks to give me a break last week and work on a few things.
“It’s obviously paid off today.
“I knew I wasn’t bowling how I normally do. So we felt it would be better to go and work on a few things.
“Having that week off, being able to clear my head and come back refreshed has helped.”
And Bailey believes last week’s win could be a turning point in the season.
“The win last week was huge,” he admitted. “We feel (as a team) that we are in a good place. It the one percenters, the things have changed, because the team and coaching staff have changed completely.
“So it’s just getting used to all those changes, because we feel that we are in a good environment to be able to be successful. It’s just going to take a bit of time.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell, Luke Adams
