WARWICKSHIRE’S Ethan Bamber said the Bears produced a ‘collective effort’ to reduce Worcestershire to 262 for eight on the opening day of the Midlands neighbours’ County Championship match at Edgbaston.
Ethan Brookes led the resistance against his former county as Worcestershire made hard work of it after choosing to bat.
Brookes was unbeaten on 80, after taking charge following the fall of captain Brett D’Oliveira (57) had left his side on an unconvincing 175 for five.
Bamber told the Bears’ X account: “We took maidens together and it was a real collective effort.
“I love those days when you all pull together, these are my favourite days as a bowler.”
But D’Oliveira insisted the Pears are still in the game, despite some disappointing moments.
He told Worcestershire’s official YouTube channel: “If I’m honest, I think we were slightly behind it just a little bit, it would’ve been nice to go into the the end of the play with a few less wickets.
“It felt like we had a couple of opportunities throughout the day to go quite big with a couple of partnerships, but unfortunately we couldn’t do that.
“But we’re still massively in the game. I didn’t think we quite capitalised on the partnerships that we that we had, there was a run out that was my fault. All those things didn’t quite go out way, but hopefully we can get close to 300.”
D’Oliveira had won the toss and chosen to bat on a good pitch but in perfect seam-bowling conditions with moisture in the air, grey cloud overhead and moderate light.
Run-scoring was never easy against an attack led by former Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard and Bamber who both ended the day with two for 47.
Even with the Kookaburra ball, the conditions were testing for batters and openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby added an uneasy 32, but then fell in successive overs.
Both nicked nicely shaped outswingers to wicketkeeper Kai Smith; Roderick off Barnard and Libby off Bamber.
Kashif Ali struck his first two balls to the off-side boundary but added just three more runs from the next 29 balls before going back to Barnard and falling lbw to one that kept a little low.
Adam Hose (40) and D’Oliveira dug in to steady the innings, at one stage two runs coming from six overs before Hose pulled a rare loose ball from Bamber into the Hollies Stand.
Three weeks ago, Hose smashed a dazzling, stroke-strewn 266
from 253 balls against Hampshire in Southampton. Care and caution were key this time in a partnership of 59 from 23 overs which ended when Hose hesitated when called for a single by D’Oliveira and was beaten by Barnard’s throw.
D’Oliveira, on the ground where he made his first-class debut 13 years earlier, batted with good judgment and determination to try to vindicate his toss decision.
He reached his 24th first-class half-century (from 137 balls) but then edged Beau Webster, back with the Bears after Australia duty, to Smith.
Tom Taylor played across a straight one from Taz Ali and was lbw. Brookes and Ben Allison added 46 but were parted by the new ball when the latter edged Bamber to slip.
That brought in debutant Bertie Foreman, signed on a two-week loan deal from Sussex, but he made little headway with the bat before edging Olly Hannon-Dalby to second slip.
Brookes saw the day through before the light – never good – closed in. The all-rounder will have his sights set on his second first-class century tomorrow if the tail can stick in there with him.
• Additional reporting by ECB Reporters’ Network, supported by Rothesay
