Live: Rothesay County Championship – Yorkshire Men v Warwickshire, Day 1

Sixteen wickets in the day. Super day’s cricket, which sees the visitors – replying to our 205 all out – with a deficit of 44.

Beau Webster ends the day on 32, while Olly Hannon-Dalby is on 5 as nightwatchman.

Jonny Bairstow 47 top-scored for either side. Ben Sears had a good day with 28 and two wickets.

Ed Barnard caught Adam Lyth bowled Ben Sears, 41.

Caught at second slip. Sears two-for and a 28 in the day. A very decent contribution.

Warwickshire have put their foot down late in the day, moving to 149-5 in the 37th of 43 overs to bowl.

Ed Barnard has 41 and Beau Webster 25. They have shared 43 at a good lick.

It looks like they will end the day on top, but we have seen on this page that things happen and change quickly.

Dan Mousley caught Adam Lyth bowled Ben Coad 32.

Mousley, with keeper Bairstow stood up to the stumps, edges Coad to second slip. Yorkshire break a 59-run stand between the left-hander and Ed Barnard, who has 24.

Beau Webster in now. Thirteen overs remain in the day.

Warwickshire pair Dan Mousley 26 and Ed Barnard 18 have shared 45 for the fifth wicket to settle things down after Yorkshire ran through their top order.

The Bears, replying to 205 all out, Dan Mousley 10, Ed Barnard 6. Jordan Thompson and Ben Sears are in operation for Yorkshire. We have 22 overs remaining in the day.

Yorkshire have claimed two wickets in two balls, one for Ben Sears and the other for George Hill.

Hamza Shaikh was caught behind off Ben Sears for 3 and Zen Malik lbw George Hill for 10.

Shaikh was caught behind off his glove as he tried to leave Sears alone, Malik lbw pushing forwards.

Dan Mousley and Ed Barnard are at the crease on nought. We still have the best part of 30 overs remaining to add to the 14 wickets which have already fallen today.

Rob Yates lbw Ben Coad, 14.

As out as they come, with Yates half pushing forwards. Zen Malik is in to join Hamza Shaikh, who is yet to score.

Alex Davies caught Harry Brook bowled Jordan Buckingham, 10.

Warwickshire’s captain edges our overseas Australian debutant Buckingham to third slip, where England’s new white-ball captain holds on. Hamza Shaikh joins Rob Yates at the crease, the latter on 14.

Rob Yates 12 and Alex Davies 1. Ben Coad and Jordan Buckingham are sharing the new ball.

Ben Sears caught Beau Webster bowled Ethan Bamber, 28.

Sears edges to second slip, where the tall Australian takes a good catch leaping above his head.

We are at tea now and have 43 overs remaining in the day.

Bamber finishes with five wickets for Warwickshire, his first five-for since moving from Middlesex over the winter.

Ben Sears has 27 out of 204-9, he has just hit Ed Barnard for 14 off the 52nd over, including a six over mid-wicket following two boundaries. Crucial runs.

Jonny Bairstow bowled Ed Barnard, 47.

Bairstow has played on and falls just short of a fifty. Barnard claims his third wicket.

Our two overseas seamers are at the crease now – Ben Sears on 8 and Jordan Buckingham 0.

Ben Coad caught behind Kai Smith bowled Michael Booth, 3.

Coad is wicketkeeper Smith’s fifth catch behind the stumps. Ben Sears joins Jonny Bairstow, who has 41.

Jordan Thompson caught behind Kai Smith bowled Ed Barnard, 35.

Thompson feathers behind to end an important contribution.

Ben Coad strides to the crease to join his captain Jonny Bairstow, who has 39.

Really impressive stuff from Jonny Bairstow and Jordan Thompson, who have 33 and 34 respectively. They’ve shared 54 and counting for the seventh wicket. Both have just played eye-catching drives. Thompson through the covers and Bairstow down the ground.

Yorkshire have move to 159-6 in the 52nd over.

Jonny Bairstow 28 and Jordan Thompson 25 have shared an unbroken 40 for the seventh wicket. Controlled aggression is the best way to describe it, though Thompson was dropped by wicketkeeper Kai Smith on 16.

George Hill caught Alex Davies bowled Ethan Bamber, 0.

Hill edges a drive to first slip, where the Warwickshire captain holds on. Bamber has a fourth wicket.

Jordan Thompson is in now alongside Jonny Bairstow, 14.

Harry Brook caught Hamza Shaikh bowled Ethan Bamber, 33.

Brook uppercuts a short ball down to third, and Warwickshire have their fifth wicket with the third ball of the afternoon.

George Hill comes in to join Jonny Bairstow, who has 6.

An enthralling opening morning comes to a close, with Harry Brook unbeaten on 33 and Jonny Bairstow 6. They have shared an unbroken 22.

Ethan Bamber has struck twice and Ed Barnard and Olly Hannon-Dalby once apiece. Yorkshire have lost Dom Bess, James Wharton, Joe Root and Adam Lyth in bowler-friendly conditions.

Warwickshire will be the happier, just about, you’d think. But Brook and Bairstow could change things in a flash.

Adam Lyth caught behind Kai Smith bowled Olly Hannon-Dalby, 26.

Lyth is the fourth morning wicket of an entertaining morning session.

Jonny Bairstow comes in to join Harry Brook, who has 22.

Harry Brook as advanced at the bowlers a couple of times in the last two overs without success but has just played a lovely cover drive off Michael Booth, moving to 20.

Now then. Warwickshire think they’ve got Brook caught behind. The slips and bowler Booth are convinced. But the umpire Michael Burns disagrees. Yorkshire 69-3 in the 23rd over.

Adam Lyth has 22.

Adam Lyth has 22 and Harry Book 12.

Brook has just eased Michael Booth’s seam through mid-wicket for three.

Harry Brook has been named in England’s squad for the opening Test of the summer, at Trent Bridge from May 22. Joe Root is also in.

The full squad is as follows: Ben Stokes c, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com.

Joe Root caught Rob Yates bowled Ed Barnard, 1.

Root, having been dropped by Alex Davies at first slip earlier in the over, is caught low down at second slip.

Harry Brook joins Adam Lyth, who has 12.

DIVISION ONE

Hampshire v Durham 48-1, Utilita Bowl

Somerset v Essex 40-0, The Cooper Associates County Ground

DIVISION TWO 

Lancashire 23-2 v Gloucestershire, Emirates Old Trafford 

Leicestershire 54-0 v Northamptonshire, The Uptonsteel County Ground

Middlesex v Kent 25-2, Lord’s

There has been a lot of morning talk about the pitch at Taunton, as you will be able to see from the above embedded X post. But Essex have made a very encouraging start from their point of view.

James Wharton caught behind Kai Smith bowled Ethan Bamber, 0.

Early success for Warwickshire as keeper Smith holds onto the catch at the second attempt, between his legs. He fumbles the initial chance but manages to secure the ball as he falls on his back.

Joe Root in now alongside Adam Lyth, who has 7, and he gets a good ovation from the crowd as he heads to the crease.

Dom Bess caught behind Kai Smith bowled Ethan Bamber, 16.

Breakthrough for Warwickshire comes as Bess gets an inside-edge on a delivery which nips back from just short of a good length.

James Wharton in now to join Adam Lyth, who has 7.

Adam Lyth on six survives, with Yorkshire 12-0 in the fourth, now 13-0.

Dom Bess pushes Olly Hannon-Dalby into the covers, where Dan Mousley fields and throws at the non-striker’s stumps. After a bit of confusion between the batters, Lyth is well short and gives up the job of reclaiming his ground. But the throw misses and goes through to Ethan Bamber at mid-on, who also tries to throw the stumps down with Lyth now scrambling back. But that misses too, and there’s no one backing up.

In the end, a comfortable single!

There’s been a boundary apiece for Adam Lyth and Dom Bess this morning, both to the third-man fence off Ethan Bamber.

The first, Lyth edged wide of the slips, bouncing well short of them initially. The second, however, saw Bess edge at a catchable height between keeper Kai Smith and Alex Davies at first slip. Both left it for each other. Having seen the replay, it should have been Smith’s catch.

Dom Bess is opening the batting for Yorkshire in this game, alongside Adam Lyth.

Ethan Bamber has the new ball for Warwickshire.

Dawid Malan is missing this game through injury.

Yorkshire team: Adam Lyth, Dom Bess, James Wharton, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jonny Bairstow c&w, George Hill, Jordan Thompson, Ben Sears, Jordan Buckingham, Ben Coad.

Warwickshire: Alex Davies c, Rob Yates, Hamza Shaikh, Zen Malik, Dan Mousley, Ed Barnard, Beau Webster, Kai Smith w, Michael Booth, Ethan Bamber, Olly Hannon-Dalby.

The ECB Reporters Network compiled previews for all 18 counties ahead of the start of this season’s Rothesay County Championship. Here’s Warwickshire’s…..

WARWICKSHIRE

Previewed by Brian Halford – ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay

Captain: Alex Davies

Head Coach: Ian Westwood

2024 finish: Seventh

2024 highest run-scorer: Alex Davies (1,115)

2024 highest wicket-taker: Olly Hannon-Dalby (50)

Key winter moves: The era of transition continues at Edgbaston with a new head coach, Ian Westwood replacing Mark Robinson, and performance director, James Thomas replacing Gavin Larsen. Two key players have departed (Will Rhodes to Durham and Michael Burgess to retirement). In has come Ethan Bamber from Middlesex while the squad will be patched up with four overseas players: Tom Latham (all season), Vishwa Fernando (April), Beau Webster (May-July) and Hasan Ali (May-September).

What we’re looking forward to seeing: New Zealand batter Tom Latham arrives for his first sustained crack at county cricket, having previously paid fleeting visits to Durham, Kent and Surrey. Two of their linchpin run-scorers having chosen to leave during the winter, Warwickshire will look to the 32-year-old for match-shaping runs. Latham will be aiming to harvest more happy memories of Edgbaston where he scored the winning runs in New Zealand’s eight-wicket Test victory in 2021.

Player to watch: Ed Barnard’s first two seasons at Edgbaston have not been successful ones for the team but the former Worcestershire player has quietly, impressively enhanced his own reputation as an all-rounder potentially capable of pushing himself into England contention. Productive and, at times, imperious with the bat, he was also a key member of the seam attack in 2024, finishing second top wicket-taker behind the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby.

Final thought: Warwickshire’s supporters are becoming impatient after several seasons of drift, particularly in red-ball cricket. Ian Westwood, having completed the path from Under 10s player to head coach, must get some stability and consistency into the team. Warwickshire’s 1972 County Championship triumph was followed by a miserable decade. A strong season is needed to assure their supporters that their 2021 triumph will not be followed by a similarly thin era.

Picture by Gareth Copley/Getty Images. Warwickshire captain Alex Davies.

Good morning from Headingley, where the sun is shining. 

While we’re not expecting the temperatures of the last couple of days today, it looks like being a very settled for the whole weekend, which also includes a couple of games for Yorkshire’s Women.

We will be sharing the blog with their games against Derbyshire in 50-over and T20 cricket tomorrow and Bank Holiday Monday.

But for now, we concentrate on the start of a blockbuster men’s clash with Warwickshire, a game which sees Harry Brook and Joe Root play for Yorkshire as well as Australian seam-bowling debutant Jordan Buckingham.

Yorkshire have won one, lost one and drawn one so far this season – not in that order – and come into this fixture against the Bears on the back of a week’s rest. They drew against Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside last time out.

Warwickshire have won one and drawn two. They have 46 points from their three matches, six points better off than the White Rose.

They will have Australian Test all-rounder Beau Webster debuting for them.

Like Yorkshire, they have also had a week off since drawing their last game. That came at home to Nottinghamshire, at Edgbaston, having been bowled out for 93.

There looks to be a decent covering of grass on the pitch.

You can read our preview for this match via the embedded tweet below this post, and the live stream will be added at top of the page.