And here’s Ali Martin on Varun Chopra’s fine hundred for Warwickshire at snow-hit Edgbaston:
That’s all for today. But here’s Mike Selvey’s close of play report from The Oval, where Marcus Trescothick gave Somerset a foundation to fight back against Surrey:
Any more memorabilia fans out there?
Here’s one of the more intriguing things we’ve had so far...
Armchair Cricket!
The unique game of skill and tactics for 2 or 4 players ... or one nerdy loner on his own.
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Tea at a sunny but cold Edgbaston, with Varun Chopra going into the interval 99 not out and Warwickshire 203 for two from 59 overs and having just brought up their first batting bonus point.
Chopra, who began the session on 24, has been every easy on the eye, with cover drives, late cuts and solid defence seeing him one short of his first century of the summer (and already well past his best score against Yorkshire, 45).
At the other end we are getting some vintage Jonathan Trott too, who continues to send bowlers mad with those glorious clips off his pads for four from balls that would have pinged off stump. He’s looked as fluent as any batsman in the match, and sits 38 from 52 balls. With Ryan Sidebottom still out of the attack (ankle), Adil Rashid has been sending down more over than he would have done otherwise and bar the odd long-hop/full toss – forgivable in light of the temperature – has bowled nicely from the City End.
The leggie got his reward with the wicket of Ian Bell, who lunged forward to a leg break on 59 that flew to Adam Lyth at first slip. Bell had been a bit sedate at first after lunch, sitting on 24 for 19 balls as Yorkshire probed away. He found his groove though with some lovely late cuts, only to find himself trudging off ruing a missed opportunity of a second championship hundred this summer.
Well this is fun. A chance to watch Marcus Trescothick at his best, like visiting old familiar haunts in remembrance of things past , but truncated since then as the latest instalment of weird weather sweeps down the country. Trescothick has pretty much held the Somerset innings together with the 59th century of his career and his first as a 40 year old. Currently he is 113 not out.
He might like to know that Jack Hobbs made 100 centuries after turning 40, although it is doubtful Tres has that much left in the tank. At the moment, following a short but violent snow storm, presaged with a loud thunderclap and lightning, there is an umpire’s inspection. But it has become gloomy again, and the fear is that it will be a frustrating afternoon.
Forty-five minutes gone after the snowy lunch here at Edgbaston and it’s been an absorbing passage of play in which Yorkshire, still a man light in attack due to Ryan Sidebottom’s earlier ankle injury, have been testing the Warwickshire pair of Ian Bell and Varun Chopra. Both batsmen remain with Bell, in short sleeves, having scored just four singles during this time and Chopra adding 16 to his tally at the other end. Jack Brooks and Liam Plunkett have kept the pair pegged back in their crease, with the indefatigable Steve Patterson trundling away from the Pavilion End. The visitors might need to start exploring their bowling options here but it’s a cold day for the spinners. Warwickshire 75 for one.
The view from Edgbaston
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) April 26, 2016
Early lunch here at Edgbaston, with err snow forcing the players off. Warwickshire 54 for one with Ian Bell looking in supreme touch on 24 with a couple of lovely buttered up cover drives in there and Varun Chopra similarly on 24 - less buttery but standing firm nonetheless. Ian Westwood the man gone, bowled by a beauty from Jack Brooks that shaped into the left-hander and nipped away a smidge. Yorkshire are hampered by the loss of Ryan Sidebottom, who hobbled off in his sixth over with a left ankle problem. Being assessed by the physio, will update when more known. Snow shower already passed in the time it has taken me to write this - now glorious sunshine - so shouldn’t do anything more than bring the afternoon forward by 10 minutes.
Morning all from Edgbaston, where Yorkshire were bowled out for 379 first thing (Steve Patterson a career-best 63 not out) and have now struck back in the sixth over of Warwickshire’s reply with Jack Brooks bowling Ian Westwood for four. Behind the batsman here but would suggest a hint of movement and the left-hander playing back contributed to his off stump being disturbed. Ian Bell/The Duke of Bellington/The Sledgehammer of Eternal Justice has just arrived at the crease. Chance to make a big statement here against the best attack in the country, with selector Mick Newell in attendance today. Warwickshire 18 for one.
Early morning greetings, not from The Oval yet (it is only 8.40 as I write this) but Bedford station, where I am killing time before the first off-peak train. This used to be the 9.19 which arrived in St Pancras at 10.01. A while ago, East Midlands decided to shift the train to 9.17 so that it now arrives at 9.59 and therefore does not qualify as off-peak. Grabbing bastards.
It is hard to see the game between Surrey and Somerset going anywhere given the weather forecast. The bitter temperature notwithstanding, the hosts of showers predicted for this afternoon, and similar for tomorrow, would appear to preclude anything but a few bonus points. There will of course be press box condition update re windows, temperature etc. Good news though is that the ceiling lights which keep turning on and off are on a motion sensor. This means that to keep them on we have to move around which therefore not only gives us light but helps keep us warm too. Genius.
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Morning all
We’re picking up where we left off yesterday, with Ali Martin at Edgbaston for Warwickshire v Yorkshire and Mike Selvey at The Oval for Surrey v Somerset. Here’s Ali’s report from last night:
Warwickshire v Yorkshire
Enjoy the cricket.
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