Despite another match marred by a lost day due to rain, Warwickshire were able to defeat Hampshire by an inning and 84 runs. The Bears’ 410-8 declaration was enough to see victory against a Hampshire side that slumped to 97 all-out in the second innings, after a 229 all-out first inning. This was their fist victory at the Ageas Bowl since 2010.

The star of the show was Chris Rushworth, who spearheaded the Warwickshire bowling attack to take seven wickets from just 13 overs. Rushworth consistently caused problems for the Hampshire batting lineup, as well as setting the tone by trapping opener Felix Organ LBW on the second ball of the inning. Having taken three wickets in the first inning, Rushworth finished with ten wickets overall, and was “over the moon.”

Chris Woakes finished the match with five wickets, which was a solid bowling performance that blended into the background against Rushworth’s dominance. 

Rushworth’s performance solidifies my argument that the Warwickshire bowling attack is one of the best, if not the best, in the LV= County Championship. The fact that Hasan Ali was absent and Oliver Hannon-Dalby only took a pair of wickets in the match shows that each bowler can take control of the game. This attack has so many edges that there really is no place to hide for their opposition.

“We’ve got two of the best six bowlers with the new ball in the business,” commented head coach Mark Robinson, referring to Woakes and Rushworth. 

Danny Briggs was able to take the first wicket by a spin bowler this year for the Bears, with Mohammad Abbas being stumped by Burgess to secure the victory.

Hampshire just could not quite emulate the control of the ball that Warks displayed. Talisman Mohammad Abbas took four wickets, but was only able to do so after bowling 29.3 overs. Kyle Abbott and Ian Holland took home a pair of wickets apiece.

The Bears were impressive with the bat, however, and should be praised for their temperament. Ed Barnard was unfortunate not to rack up his first century for the Bears, as he was caught behind for 95 runs. Barnard had to sit in his pads in the pavilion for the majority of the day, as the inclement weather prevented any balls being bowled. 

Michael Burgess (88) and Sam Hain (85) were classy performers from the bears, with Alex Davies (51) picking up the fourth half-century of the innings. 

Although Hampshire has a pretty torrid time with the bat, the one positive performance from the home side came from captain James Vince. Vince scored 75* in the first inning, and 52* in the second, top-scoring in both. In the second inning, Vince stood by at the non-striker’s end to witness five dismissals before getting off the mark. When he finally did get a single on the board, his sixth partnership ended soon after as Abbott was dismissed for nought.

The scale of this Hampshire collapse was astounding, with their final seven batters combining for 15 runs. This was boosted by a stoic nine runs from 73 balls courtesy of Mohammad Abbas. 

Overall, Warwickshire simply outclasses Hampshire with both bat and ball, which was reflected by the one-sided scorecard. 

Warks now sit in tied first position in the LV= County Championship with Surrey, and are set to face a strong Essex outfit next. 

Hampshire moved to fourth place with this loss, and their two losses already this season mean that championship glory is already a task that may be out of reach. 

Check out these latest sports articles here:

Warwickshire dismantled by Surrey Seamers

Redbrick’s mock NFL draft picks: part III

Redbrick’s mock NFL draft picks: part II