Warwickshire Docked Eight Points

Last updated : 14 May 2011 By Covsupport News Service

Warwickshire County Cricket Club, have been docked 8 points following a visit by pitch inspector David Hughes yesterday. The inspection was prompted by an erratically behaving pitch which saw a Boyd Rankin delivery hit Worcestershire batsman Vikram Solanki just below the left ear, knocking him to the ground and needing hospital treatment.

Hughes deemed the pitch to be 'poor' hence the eight point deduction. If he had decided it was unfit The Bears could have suffered a 24 point deduction.

Warwicks finished off Worcestershire who had ended the second day on 228-9.

Richardson was caught with the first ball he received from Chris Metters who added another wicket to his five wicket haul without the overnight total being added to.

When Warwickshire who had made 382 in their first innings, they struggled. Will Porterfield who had made only four was bowled by Richardson and quickly followed by Varun Chopra who had made 24 out of 28 runs.

Jon Trott only added four to the total and when captain Ian Bell went for fourteen in the eighteenth over, Warwicks were 56-4.

Mohammad Yousuf and Darren Maddy pushed the score on to 129 before Maddy was bowled for 30. Six runs later and Rikki Clarke became the sixth Warwickshire batsman to lose his wicket when he was caught after making four runs.

In the 41st over, Yousuf was caught after making 68 from 73 balls and hitting ten fours to put Waricks 311 ahead with three wickets remaining. Warwicks head reached 178 when Tahir went for 11 and Rankin 3 not out and with the Bears 327 ahead, Bell declared leaving Worcestershire needing 328 runs to win.

Worcestershire got off to a poor start to their reply losing Cameron for 1 run off 4 balls as he was caught by Ambrose off Tahir. Pardoe was next to go when he was bowled by Tahir for 4.

Solanki retired hurt on 0 after being hit on the head from a Rankin delivery then Kervezee was given out lbw to Tahir when he was on 13, he hit one of the two fours of the Worcester second innings while Ali hit the other as he finished the day on 13 not out with Choudry on 3.

Worcestershire finished the day on 36 for 3 off 17 overs still requiring 292 runs to win on the final day.