WARWICKSHIRE all-rounder Ed Barnard says the last hour of Sunday’s play in their Championship match with Sussex has given them a chance to take something the game at Edgbaston.
Sussex closed the third day on 126 for three in their second innings – 200 ahead overall – having taken a first innings lead of 74.
It is a solid advantage but taking 10 wickets quickly on the final day on a pitch offering some turn, but which remains batter-friendly, would require something special – as it stands, a draw is favourite to be the outcomes.
Warwickhire needed 379 to avoid the follow on but went on to total 454 thanks to Rob Yates (115, 159 balls), Barnard (82, 136), Alex Davies (66, 65) and Dan Mousley (63, 105).
After Warwickshire resumed the third morning on 223 for three, Sussex struck early. Ollie Robinson needs to fire early this season to advance his case for an England recall and he has started strongly with several hostile spells.
He removed the well-set Yates with the 21st ball of the day, a perfectly-pitched leg-cutter which was edged behind.
Robinson then unfurled another fine ball which Mousley, still to score, edged to slip, but Tom Alsop grassed the catch. Less impressive was his next wicket-taking ball – a full toss which Ethan Bamber belted straight to mid-wicket.
At 252 for five, still 127 short of the follow on, Warwickshire needed steadying and Mousley and Barnard provided the necessary stability with a stand of 124 in 32 overs.
Mousley exploited his early reprieve to bat attractively but departed furious at himself for missing a sweep at Carson and falling lbw. Barnard struck seven fours and two sixes in an increasingly fluent innings before he fell lbw to a fine ball from Danny Lamb.
Kai Smith’s punchy 27 (32 balls) ended when he lifted Carson to long on and Michael Booth fell in similar fashion after Tazeem Ali edged Lamb to second slip.
Sussex were left with a session to bat and they spent it enhancing their lead in less than scintillating fashion for the loss of three wickets to the spinners.
Yates added two wickets to his earlier century as he had Daniel Hughes (33, 34) caught at slip and Tom Haines (34, 50) lbw. Tom Clark offered no shot to a sharply turning ball from Taz Ali and was adjudged lbw as Warwickshire claimed a third wicket.
Barnard told Warwickshire’s official website: “It was nice to get some runs and good to bat some time with Dan Mousley who played beautifully.
“They bowled really well this morning and then again with the new ball, Seales and Robinson are high quality bowlers, so we knew we had to get through that spell but we also knew it was a good pitch so if we could see off the new ball hopefully it would get easier.
“We are really pleased with how the last hour went.
“It could easily have got away from us with the short boundary and the good pitch but the spinners bowled well.
“Taz has been excellent all game and I was pleased he got that wicket towards the end.
“We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. We’d back ourselves to chase anything on that pitch so if we can bowl well in the morning, even if they don’t want to set something up, we’ll be trying to take those seven wickets to give ourselves a chance.”
