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Northamptonshire 303 (Peters 106, Shreck 4-80) and 105 for 3 beat Kent 271 (Bell-Drummond 68, Copeland 5-71) and 135 (Copeland 5-42) by seven wickets
ScorecardTrent Copeland took five wicket hauls in both innings of a match for the first time•Getty Images

Should Australia need Ashes cover for this summer’s Ashes series they might do a lot worse than put Northamptonshire’s overseas strike bowler Trent Copeland on standby.Copeland, a 6ft 5ins right-armer, took five wickets in each innings for the first time in his first-class career and bagged match figures of 10 for 113 to inspire Northamptonshire’s seven wicket win at Canterbury that keeps them on top of Division Two of the County Championship.Bowling down the Nackington Road slope, Copeland ripped the heart out of a hapless Kent top-order and tuned a hitherto evenly fought contest into a one-sided miss-match.With the match ball safely tucked away in his kit bag Copeland, who is playing on despite concerns over a slight back problem, said: “I enjoyed this game and felt I earned my wickets through putting it all in and working hard. It’s a little like the old adage ‘you can’t take wickets if you’re not bowling’, that’s just the way I see it.”I’m only over here for nine weeks or so and would have liked to have contributed more wicket-wise in the first couple of games, but although I felt I bowled well I wasn’t quite getting the edges or winning the appeals.”We spoke about how strong this Kent side is on paper and I’m stoked for the boys that I’ve come good here and we’re going home with a great result. I’ve never taken two five-fors in a game so I’m delighted with that. We’ve played three games previously on sporting pitches but this one here just did enough to keep you interested.”Having resumed on day three on 6 for 0 to trailing by a mere 26 runs, the Northamptonshire attack, inspired by Copeland, set about routing the hosts for 135 in a shade over three hours.Copeland sent back both openers leg before with near identical full-length off-cutters and had former-West Indies international-turned-Kent Kolpak signing Brendan Nash caught behind as the hosts lost six wickets in the opening session.Daniel Bell-Drummond was run out by a direct hit from Steven Crook after a slow response to a call for a sharp single, then James Tredwell, on his home bow as championship skipper, pushed outside the line of a Crook in-ducker to go leg before without scoring. And Kent supporters were choking on their carvery lunches in the Colin Cowdrey stand when, on the cusp of the interval, Matt Coles waltzed across his stumps flailing to leg and was bowled by Crook for 6.Geraint Jones showed some heart for the fight with a brisk 72-ball 50 with seven fours after lunch but once he went leg before to David Willey for 57 Copeland returned to mop up the tail and finish with 5 for 42.Northamptonshire lost three wickets in the pursuit of the 104 required for victory but Alex Wakeley teamed up with Andrew Hall to see them to the winning line by 5pm. Ironically for Kent fans, it was Hall, their overseas allrounder from 2005-2007 who smeared the winning boundary off the listless bowling of Tredwell, who has yet to claim a wicket in his three championship starts this season.

ScorecardShane Shillingford’s match-winning effort against Barbados helped Windward Islands go to the top of the league•WICB Media

Shane Shillingford took his good form from the Test series against Zimbabwe into the Regional Four Day Competition, taking 12 wicketsto set up a 216-run win for Windward Islands against Barbados. Shillingford, who took 19 wickets in two Tests at an average of 10.52, bowled well in both innings to help dismiss Barbados for 64 and 205. The win puts Windwards at the top of the points table with 48 points.Batting first, Windwards managed 184 in their first innings. Ashley Nurse and Sulieman Benn took four wickets each as Windwards crumbled after a strong start. In reply, Shillingford and medium pacers Nelon Pascal and Keon Peters dismissed Barbados for a paltry 64.Openers Devon Smith and Tyrone Theophile extended Windwards’ 120-run lead, with an opening stand of 170. While Theophile fell for 91, Smith smashed an unbeaten 150 as Windwards declared at 301 for 4, setting Barbados 422 runs for a win.Shillingford then spun out Barbados for 205, picking up eight wickets for 82 runs off 37 overs. Barbados opener Kraigg Braithwaite held on end up, scoring an unbeaten 91 off 266 balls but Shillingford’s dominance proved too much for Barbados.
ScorecardTrinidad & Tobago routed Combined Campuses and Colleges by 10 wickets in Port of Spain. Put into the bat, T&T were in trouble at 19 for 3 before a 117-run fourth-wicket stand between Jason Mohammed and captain Dwayne Bravo lifted them to safety. Mohammed anchored the T&T innings, stitching together partnerships of 80 runs and 104 runs with Kieron Pollard and Stephen Katwaroo respectively, and scored his second first-class hundred. T&T declared their innings at an imposing 406 for 9.CCC began their reply well and a 107-run partnership between captain Kyle Corbin and Raymon Riefer for the fourth wicket took them to a solid-looking 168 for 3. However, the innings went downhill after Corbin was dismissed for 62, with the score at 168 for 4. CCC lost their next six wickets to fast bowler Rayad Emrit for just 20 runs to be dismissed for 188.CCC were in danger of facing an innings defeat, tottering at 53 for 5 after T&T enforced the follow-on with a lead of 218 runs. Floyd Reifer and Chadwick Walton added 98 runs for the sixth wicket to lend some stability to the innings while a 72-run stand between Walton and McClean helped CCC edge past T&T’s lead. Another lower-order collapse – four wickets in five runs – ensured that T&T needed a mere 11 runs for a win. The T&T openers took two overs to reach the target and bring their side to second place on the points table, level with Jamaica.
ScorecardLeft-arm spinner Nikita Miller’s 11-wicket haul set up Jamaica’s 170-run win over Leeward Islands. Put in to bat, Jamaica were dismissed for 209 in their first innings. Leewards offspinner Justin Athanaze picked up four wickets , while Quinton Boatswain took 3 for 21 in nine overs.In reply, Leewards crumbled to 108 all out as Miller picked up seven wickets, conceding a miserly 13 runs in 20.2 overs. Jamaica struggled in their second innings and were 116 for 9 at one stage, before a 109-run tenth-wicket partnership between Odean Brown and Sheldon Cotterrell took them to 225. Brown scored his second first-class fifty before he was dismissed by Athanaze for 59.Leewards had a poor start in their chase of a steep target of 327 runs. Quick wickets from fast bowler Andrew Richardson and Cotterrell reduced them to 20 for 4. A 91-run partnership between captain Sylvester Joseph and Jahmar Hamilton restored some stability to the chase but Jamaica were on top after Leewards lost their next four wickets for just 11 runs. Miller dismissed Hamilton for 52 and took three more wickets to give Jamaica a convincing win.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAaron Finch came in as Marlon Samuels’ replacement and made it count•BCCI

When Pune Warriors stumbled to 99 for 9 after choosing to bat against Kings XI Punjab and crashed to their 11th successive defeat, their captain Angelo Mathews said his batsmen needed to sort their “intent and attitude” towards the first six overs. Warriors had made 24 for 2 in the first six overs that evening. Four days later, Robin Uthappa and Aaron Finch blasted them to 64 for 1 in the same period, and Warriors made short work of the target of 146 set by Rajasthan Royals to break the longest losing streak in the IPL.Finch was playing only because Marlon Samuels was injured, and his arrival heralded a complete change in the way Warriors approached the Powerplay. Instead of starting overcautious and getting tied down, they started aggressively and never looked back on a slowish pitch.Royals captain Rahul Dravid gambled with India Under-19 left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh for a couple of overs at the start, ahead of James Faulkner, Kevon Cooper and Siddharth Trivedi. Harmeet was making his Twenty20 debut, and while his first over went for just six, the next one was taken for 17. There was no gamble with giving Sreesanth two overs from the other end. And while the first went for just seven, the second was shredded for 21.Uthappa did most of that damage, pulling successive long-hops from Harmeet for six and also lifting Sreesanth over long-on and deep square leg for two more sixes. Warriors catapulted to 51 for 0 in four overs, the frenetic start all but ending Royals’ hopes. Though Uthappa went for 32 off 16 deliveries to a brilliant one-handed take by Dravid in an opening partnership of 58 in 4.5 overs, Finch kept going and going.He’d already lofted Harmeet and Sreesanth for a couple of straight sixes and went on punishing slight width either side of the wicket, swinging Cooper over deep square leg to reach his fifty off 36 balls. Yuvraj Singh returned after missing the previous game with an injury to finish the chase in the 19th over with a huge six over deep midwicket off Sreesanth.It wasn’t that Royals had ended short of expectations in setting the target. Rahane said during the innings break they had aimed for anything between 140 and 150. Kusal Perera had gone first ball of the match to a Bhuvneshwar Kumar inswinger, but Dravid and Rahane had set the platform with a second-wicket stand of 81 off 67.Dravid was in superb touch on his way to 54 off 48, timing several pleasing drives through the off side. Rahane rotated the strike well, but both batsmen fell to sharp catches off the spinners as Royals lost their way in the middle of the innings. Rahul Sharma was especially difficult to get away with his full and quick legbreaks. Royals did scrap some runs towards the end, but the way Uthappa and Finch batted, Warriors’ losing streak had no chance of getting extended.

Former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is set to make a return to competitive cricket after being named in the Northern Districts squad for the eighth round of the Ford Trophy. Vettori has been out of action since the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last year, where he suffered a recurrence of a chronic Achilles tendon injury.The injury kept him out of New Zealand’s tours to Sri Lanka and South Africa, and the current home series against England.Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn welcomed Vettori’s return to the side. “We’re delighted to welcome a player of Dan’s caliber and experience back into the side as we approach the Ford Trophy Preliminary Finals. It’s been a long road to recovery for Dan this summer and he’s relishing being fit again and ready to play.”Northern Districts take on Wellington on March 20 and have already qualified for the minor preliminary finals.

India seamer Praveen Kumar, who is on the comeback trail after missing most of the Ranji season due to the recurrence of a tennis elbow injury, could be in trouble for a “serious” breach of the players’ code of conduct in a Corporate Trophy game. The BCCI is expected to decide on what action, if any, is to be taken against him next week.On February 4, Praveen had sworn at an opposition batsman while playing for Oil and Natural Gas Limited (ONGC) in the Corporate Trophy: he hurled swear words at Income Tax batsman Ajitesh Argal despite the on-field umpires warning him. The umpires subsequently charged him for a code of conduct breach and match referee Dhananjay Singh found him guilty on two counts.According to the match referee’s report, which is in possession of ESPNcricinfo, Praveen pleaded guilty on both charges, under clause 2.2.8 and 2.4.2. “As per the BCCI guidelines, the penalty imposed for the offence is a 100% fine of the match fee under Level-2 (for repeating the offence within 12 months) and a serious warning not to indulge in such acts in future. For the other offence, you are charged during the same ball. The matter has been referred to chief administrative office [CAO] of the BCCI for further action, since it is charged under Level-4,” Dhananjay Singh wrote in his report, which was submitted to the BCCI.As per the BCCI procedures, after the report has been submitted, the CAO is supposed to take a call on the matter within seven days. So, Ratnakar Shetty is expected to decide on how the case will move forward during the coming week. If Praveen, who is contracted with the BCCI, is found guilty, he could be banned for up to four matches.”Whatever the action or decision will be, the board won’t discuss it in public,” a BCCI official said.Besides submitting the report, Dhananjay Singh has also written a letter to BCCI’s game development manager, KVP Rao, questioning Praveen’s mental condition. He wrote: “I would like to report to you that at present Mr Praveen Kumar is not in a mental frame to play the game. He is very aggressive and gets hostile with little trigger. He is very abusive and passes very filthy comments to his own team-mates, opponents and even to spectators. During the first match also (ONGC v CAG on February 1) he had a spat with spectators at the international stadium in Raipur. It was told to me by the other match referee Mr Prakash Bhatt. Even his own team-mates are keeping some distance from him.”The episode highlighted Praveen’s tendency to lose his temper frequently. In 2008, he had allegedly come to blows with a doctor during a fracas in Meerut, his hometown. During India’s tour to the West Indies in 2011, Praveen was involved in a spat with spectators in Port of Spain. Soon after, during the series in England where he proved his worth as a Test bowler, he had reacted angrily to fans’ taunts during a tour game in Northamptonshire.

The extent to which a player can go off the radar even in the small world of Bangladesh cricket is personified by Aftab Ahmed, the batsman earmarked for greatness only five years ago but who hasn’t played international cricket since March 2010. Such has been his downturn in fortune, Aftab is merely eyeing a regular place in the Chittagong Kings side in this season’s BPL.”I have to target a place in the playing eleven, this is my first objective,” Aftab said. “If I can make it then I have a plan, which I want to execute. I was a bit shaky in the last BPL but then I thought of shrugging away the shakiness and playing with freedom. I have to do something different otherwise I have no chance of cementing my place.”Between 2004 and 2008, Aftab was one of the most feared strikers of the ball. A free-flowing strokeplayer on the off side, his ability to clear the infield was always breathtaking, though like Mohammad Ashraful he was also susceptible to poor shots. What contributed to his downfall was his lax attitude towards fitness and doing the extra bit in the nets, surprising for a player so dependent on hitting the ball sweetly, and for one of the country’s best fielders inside the circle.And, surprisingly for a cricketer of this day and age, he is candid when he agrees that it has been his lethargy that has kept him out of the limelight for such a long time. “Laziness has got the better of me,” he said. “Even though I try very hard to overcome laziness, even then I have a tough time succeeding. This is the truth, no point lying.”I feel bad sometimes. When I was an established member of the national team, I saw several players making their debut. The same players are now far ahead of me in the pecking order and I am a bit detached from everyone else. So it is normal for me to feel bad.”Aftab was part of the Dhaka Warriors team that took off from the mainstream and joined the Indian Cricket League in 2008. He returned two years later, but was not even half the player he had left as. Those close to him said that his poor work ethic earlier in his career fitted well with the relaxed attitude with which he played in the ICL, eroding his skills further.His plans now centre on domestic cricket, and he has hinted that his career is nearing the end, though he is only 27. “I have no plans as far as making it to the national team is concerned. Whether it is one or two years, I want to enjoy myself before going out from the game,” he said. “Recently, I scored two fifties in the National Cricket League so I want to bow out properly from the domestic circuit before anything else.”What Aftab will enjoy, however, will be playing for Chittagong, his hometown, and in a format he is made for, despite a poor showing in the first BPL with Dhaka Gladiators, when he made just six runs in three innings.”I only got one opportunity last time with Dhaka Gladiators and I did not make full use of it. I was shaky and thought about things too much,” Aftab said. “This hampered my progress. But this time, I am not putting any thoughts in my head. If I get one game, then so be it. I will only enjoy myself.”

Shuffled almost as often as a deck of cards in a poker den, Shane Watson’s itinerant Test match batting career may finally have found a permanent home at No. 4. Since his debut in 2005, Watson has been tried everywhere from No. 7 to opening (including ODIs), but has only now settled into the batting position with which he first became familiar when playing for Tasmania and Queensland before his international career began.Following Australia’s training session at Bellerive Oval on Wednesday, Watson confirmed that he would move down to No.4 to accommodate the recalled Phillip Hughes at No.3, and expressed hope that this would be the post where he would finally settle down as an international allrounder. It is no coincidence that No.4 is also the spot occupied by Jacques Kallis, as the coach Mickey Arthur has made no secret of his desire to have Watson scoring runs with something like the South African’s formidable consistency, while also offering substance with the ball.”I think this is more a permanent move. I hope so anyway,” Watson said. “It has certainly tested out what my skills are. I certainly enjoyed opening but it meant I wasn’t really able to bowl that much really, considering I was going to have to go in and take the first ball. Four hopefully will suit me really well. I know how important the No.4 spot is.”To be able to hopefully set up an innings when the platform has already been set for me, or come in and hopefully build a big total if we’ve lost a few early wickets. It’s where I actually started batting when I was playing first-class cricket when I was younger. It’s the position I probably know the best from a few years back anyway.”For an Australian side desperate to have Watson graduate from the handy scores he delivered consistently when opening the batting, and the mediocre ones he has turned out when tried elsewhere in the order, there is some useful history to his occupation of the position. No.4 was the site of Watson’s highest first-class score, a double-century for Queensland in a Sheffield Shield final, and the position from which he first pushed for international selection with Tasmania.”That’s where I batted for Queensland, and it is where I batted for a bit of my time in Tasmania as well,” Watson said. It just gives me that opportunity to be able to bowl the overs that my body allows me to and the captain wants [and] to then be able to freshen up and hopefully be able to bat for a long period of time as well. It’d be nice to be able to get into a position and make it my own by scoring the runs so that hopefully they don’t really want to move me anywhere else.”Critical to all this will be Watson’s attitude, which has been at its most poised and confident when opening the batting. Regardless of where Watson bats, many of his innings have followed a familiar pattern of early free scoring followed by a gradual slowing in momentum and eventual dismissal for a less than satisfying score. Well aware of the flaw, Watson said he was determined to fight his way through it at No.4.”It has been my biggest downfall, in Test cricket especially, once I’ve done all the hard work to be able to sustain my intensity at the crease to be able to get through those periods,” Watson said. “I know where I’ve been falling down and I’m certainly doing everything I can to hope that doesn’t occur.

The shuffling of Shane Watson

• Opener: 24 Tests, 1878 runs at 43.67, 2 centuries

• No.3: 4 Tests, 228 runs at 28.5, no centuries

• No.4: yet to bat

• No.5: yet to bat

• No.6: 5 Tests, 170 runs at 24.28, no centuries

• No.7: 4 Tests, 87 runs at 14.5, no centuries

“Batting in the top four I know how important it is to be consistent, then the team can rely on you, its not as hit-and-miss, on your day you have to go on and get a big score and that is something I need to continue on and improve on and get better at. I am certainly working hard mentally because I know it’s more mental than technical, because I get through the times when the bowlers are bowling their best and its about being able to hold that intensity in my mind over a long period of time.”By shifting Watson again to accommodate Hughes, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke is placing plenty of onus on his deputy to contribute significantly to the team as it learns to deal with life after Ricky Ponting. Both leaders followed Ponting in ways during the session, Clarke taking Hughes, David Warner and Ed Cowan aside for an earnest chat about batting, while Watson took the former captain’s mantle as the last to conclude training by requesting an extra catching session.”I have to step up and everyone has to, just around the group he really has been the heart beat of the group for such a long period of time,” Watson said of Ponting. “I never took it for granted the impact that he had on the group, but when he’s not there we know a number of us have to step up to do the things Ricky used to do so naturally. So its certainly a big time for the senior players who have to fill that void, but I am not sure if that is ever going to be possible.”Even at training his energy in the nets, out on the field throwing the stumps down, catching in the slips, whatever he was doing was at the highest intensity and that’s the reason he was so good. He helped everyone around him too, he does know the game so intimately, all the technical aspects of batting and fielding, he always helped you out and that is going to be sorely missed, he significantly helped me in aspects of my game. I am certainly staying in contact, he had a huge impact on my career and if it wasn’t for Ricky I wouldn’t be in the place I am today.”

Russell Domingo, South Africa’s assistant coach, has been promoted to the role of head coach for the national Twenty20 side. In a managerial split similar to England’s, Gary Kirsten will retain overall accountability of all squads but Domingo will take some of the burden off him in the shortest format.His rein begins in little over two weeks when South Africa host New Zealand for three T20s, starting on December 21. The three-match series also includes the Boxing Day T20, which replaced the traditional Test this year. South Africa will also play two T20s against Pakistan in March 2013.”I believe this decision is a positive move to creating a more sustainable and balanced coaching approach,” Kirsten said. “It’s common best-practice around the world, and we feel it will give us the platform to spread our coaching resources efficiently.”Domingo was appointed at the same time as Kirsten and bowling coach Allan Donald in June last year. At the time, Kirsten had made his intention clear to delegate responsibility, especially because his wife was expecting their third child and he wanted to spend sufficient time with his young family.Before any drastic changes could take place though, Kirsten’s immediate priorities were to oversee South Africa’s rise to No.1 in the Test rankings and aim for ICC T20 glory. He only managed one of those goals as South Africa claimed and retained the mace in England and Australia but faltered at the World T20 in Sri Lanka, where they did not make it out of the second round.Now, there is a suggestion that South Africa will look to completely overhaul the T20 set-up, starting by putting Domingo in charge. “He fully understands the team culture and will be able to build that culture with the new crop of T20 players we will be blooding this season,” Kirsten said of Domingo.South Africa threw all the resources into capturing the ICC silverware, even recalling stalwart allrounder Jacques Kallis for the tournament in Sri Lanka. But having failed in that quest again, they are planning ahead for the 2014 edition of the tournament.A significant number of promising players could expect to be injected into the T20 side this summer as a new-look squad is created. These may include allrounder Chris Morris, left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso and Titans captain and opening batsman Henry Davids.Domingo, who managed the Warriors franchise before his national appointment, has intricate knowledge of players on the South African domestic circuit from that experience. Notably, he was also in charge when Warriors won their first trophies of the franchise system: T20 and one-day cups in the 2009-10 season.Warriors qualified for the Champions League T20 in 2010 and under Domingo reached the final at home. While Kirsten already knew of Domingo’s coaching calibre from back when Domingo employed Kirsten as a consultant, those results also influenced Domingo’s ascendance to the international stage.”Coaching at the highest level has always been a goal of mine and I’m looking forward to building on the foundation we have set for this format,” Domingo said.Kirsten will remain involved in selection and strategic planning of the T20 squad but Domingo will be involved in the day-to-day activities. This will also give Kirsten more time off to accommodate his family responsibilities. Kirsten remains in charge of the one-day squad though, with an eye on the 2015 World Cup.

Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal has said the six-match Twenty20 tour of Europe has helped the team develop the habit of winning, despite the two losses to Scotland and Netherlands. Tamim was the only batsman to score in excess of 200 runs, including two half-centuries. He said he was happy to see progress on an individual and collective level.”The tour had more positives than negatives,” Tamim told ESPNcricinfo. “We won the first game against Ireland easily but in the next two we fought back from dire situations. I think the game in which [Mahmudullah] Riyad bowled well in the last over was a difficult win. We never thought we were in it but we fought till the end.”Leaving aside the Scotland game (which the hosts won by 34 runs), I thought we showed a lot of positive signs. We wanted to get into the habit of winning, so I think the tour has given us that. All in all, there were improvements but there’s still a long way to go.”After sweeping the series 3-0 against Ireland, Bangladesh had a wake-up call when the Scotland batsman Richie Berrington hammered a 57-ball century. The Bangladesh batsmen faltered and lost the one-off game.Tamim’s unbeaten 69 in the next game, against Netherlands, helped them to an easy win but the tour ended in a disappointing note after they were defeated in a last-ball finish against the same opponents.”Personally, I feel happy after the tour,” Tamim said. “I thought it was a decent effort in conditions which I wouldn’t call ideal for Twenty20 cricket.”The mixed results caused some bizarre movements in the ICC Twenty20 rankings. Bangladesh jumped to No. 4 after winning 3-0 against Ireland. However, one loss to Scotland brought them back to No. 9, which didn’t change despite beating Netherlands the next day and losing the day after.”We felt good when we became the No. 4 team in Twenty20s, but when we lost to Scotland and became No. 9, we obviously didn’t feel that good,” said Tamim. “It wasn’t important to be honest and it wasn’t really our goal during the series. But going up the rankings is definitely a goal for the future.”The players will take a break, but Tamim and four others are set to play the inaugural Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL) Twenty20 competition, which begins on August 11. Tamim believes the whole team stands to benefit and not just the contracted players.”It will be great for the five players but since we’ll be playing the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September, it’ll definitely help us as a team because the captain [Mushfiqur Rahim] is also one of the five players,” he said.

ScorecardVarun Chopra made 58 as Warwickshire’s batsmen made up for their poor first-innings showing•PA Photos

It may be premature to state that Warwickshire have one hand on the Championship trophy but, to borrow an Olympic metaphor, they are leading at the bell and look strong going into the final lap.A seven-wicket victory over Worcestershire has taken them 21 points clear at the top of the table with four games to go. While two matches against Nottinghamshire, currently in second place, will surely be the key, Warwickshire have the depth of batting and the strength of bowling to proceed with confidence. In Tim Ambrose, Rikki Clarke and William Porterfield, they also have a close-catching unit the envy of most international teams.It looks as if they should have reinforcements soon, too. Ashley Giles, the club’s director of cricket, confirmed that Warwickshire hope to sign Ian Blackwell on loan for the next three Championship matches to cover for the absence of Jeetan Patel. “He is our preferred choice,” Giles said. “We have talked to Durham, but nothing is finalised.”Warwickshire won this game – their first Championship victory since May – by making fewer mistakes than Worcestershire. Despite being bowled out for 132 in their first innings – a ridiculously low score on a blameless pitch – they retained the belief to claw their way back into the game. Worcestershire, by contrast, never really looked as if they thought they would win.Such belief is not born simply of arrogance. It is born of the knowledge that the Warwickshire team contains 10 men who have scored first-class centuries (by contrast only five of the Worcestershire team could say the same) and, particularly when Clarke and Chris Woakes are available, the quality and variety of bowling to unlock most batting line-ups on most surfaces. Clarke will be unable to bowl in the next Championship game but, subject to England call-ups, Woakes should be back.Such depth renders Warwickshire hard to wear down. Whereas Worcestershire were overly reliant on three bowlers and four batsmen, Warwickshire have the ability to recover from almost any situation. For a squad that has three men absent on England (or Lions) duty, it has remarkable strength.Asked to score the highest total of the game in order to win, Warwickshire’s openers posted a stand of 100, before three players with international experience – Jim Troughton, Darren Maddy and Porterfield – calmly made sure of victory. Ian Westwood, who made a far from elegant but efficient 83, led the way, with Varun Chopra, whose obvious ability has won him an overdue Lions call-up, adding his sixth score above 50 in the Championship season.”The way we batted in the first innings was disappointing,” Giles said, “but the belief in the side never wavered throughout. We always thought we would win this game. Whatever they scored, we thought we could chase it down.”We played good cricket last year, but not as good as this year. We’ve played the best cricket I’ve seen from us as a team this year. There is no pressure because of what happened last year. We didn’t bottle it; we just didn’t bowl out a good side on a flat wicket on the last day. Really, we’re just trying to do all the same things.”This was a disappointing loss for Worcestershire. After taking a first innings lead of 114 runs and ahead, at one stage, by 222 with six wickets in hand, they will feel they squandered a match-winning position. In truth, the lack of depth in their squad hurt them. With Richard Jones, James Cameron and Alexei Kervezee – all of whom might have anticipated featuring in this side under normal circumstances – out of form (as well as being injured, in Kervezee’s case), Worcestershire went into this game with three men making their Championship debuts. Kervezee, at least, will return for the second XI next week.”The game was there for the taking,” Steve Rhodes, Worcestershire’s director of cricket, said afterwards, “but we couldn’t capitalise on our opportunities. We lost five wickets for seven runs in the first innings and six for 37 in the second. Good sides take opportunities and, if you don’t, you end up scrapping at the bottom of the table.”The result may well prove damaging. Had Worcestershire won they would have risen to sixth in the table. As it is they remain bottom and involved in a relegation fight with Test-hosting clubs such as Lancashire, Surrey and Durham. It pays never to write off Worcestershire – they have shown the pluck to come back from such reverses frequently in recent years – but they really are facing an uphill fight this time.It does not take a genius to work out their issues. Phil Hughes, the overseas player, is the only man average above 29 with the bat and they have the tail of a diplodocus. With the ball, meanwhile, they remain uncomfortably reliant on Alan Richardson, though Chris Russell enjoyed an encouraging debut. Moeen Ali bowled tidily, too, but still lacks the bite to hurt teams on a regular basis.”I hate to say it,” Rhodes said, “but my money is on Warwickshire for the Championship. We need to win two more games and there might well be some more changes in the side.”Russell did well. We’ve invested a hell of a lot of time in him and there has not been much fruit so far but he will play in the next game against Lancashire. The other two found it a tough baptism. We’ve been knocked to the canvas in our last couple of games. But now we need to get off the floor and score some points in the latter stages of the bout.”They do, at least, have a game in hand on their rivals. Matches against fellow strugglers Durham and Lancashire could settle their fate.