Bob Willis Trophy: Northamptonshire defy Warwickshire victory push at Edgbaston
- Published
Charlie Thurston is playing his first red-ball game for Northants since September 2018
Bob Willis Trophy, Edgbaston (day three): |
Northamptonshire 142 & 317-6: Thurston 96, Rossington 60*, Curran 58; Bresnan 3-26 |
Warwickshire 369-8: Bresnan 105, Yates 88; Buck 3-64 |
Northamptonshire (2 pts) lead Warwickshire (6 pts) by 90 runs with 4 wickets left |
Northamptonshire fought back hard to stall Warwickshire's victory push on the third day of a compelling Bob Willis Trophy tussle at Edgbaston.
Trailing by 227 on first innings, the visitors closed the third day on 317-6 - 90 ahead, though quick wickets on the final morning would still leave the home side strongly-placed for victory.
Shortly after lunch they were 148-5, still 79 behind and facing defeat inside three days, but Charlie Thurston's 96 and Adam Rossington's unbeaten 60 added 159 in 48 overs, a Northamptonshire sixth-wicket record against Warwickshire.
Warwickshire were hampered by the absence of England paceman Olly Stone, who took the field at the start of play but did not bowl before leaving as a precaution after feeling some discomfort in his side.
Without Stone, Warwickshire's attack looked much less potent than in the first innings, though they made strong progress at first. After Northamptonshire
The impressive Oliver Hannon-Dalby had both Ben Curran and Ricardo Vasconcelos dropped in the slip cordon and the pair took advantage of their reprieves to add 79 in 19 overs.
Curran batted fluently for 58, his fifth first-class half-century, before he fell lbw to captain Will Rhodes and Vasconcelos departed for 42 in careless fashion when he lifted Alex Thomson to short extra cover.
Rossington and Thurston shored up the innings but were separated late in the day when Warwickshire had eight overs with the new ball and Tim Bresnan continued his excellent debut by trapping Thurston lbw.
Match report supplied by PA Media.