Birmingham Mail

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Fun Palace that is Edgbaston for a Pro40 match that, shall we say, Warwickshire slightly need to win.
Neil Carter, told last month that he has no future at the club, is recalled in place of Groenewald. Nick James replaces Vaughn Van Jaarsveld. Lancashire are without the Sri Lanka-bound Muralitharan.
Warwickshire win the toss and bat with Carter going in as pinch-hitter.
A pall of gloom hangs over the sporting world today after the noble Tim Henman went out of the US Open, his last competitive outing as an individual. Farewell Timbo.

South African spin-bowler Ant Botha has joined Warwickshire from Derbyshire with immediate effect. He has signed a deal until the end of 2009 and is in the squad for the visit to Northamptonshire tomorrow.

Warwickshire 51 for 0 from 8 overs. Maddy 14, Carter 31.

Carter hitting cleanly, albeit fed some dross by Sajjid Mahmood. I still hold out some hope that the Bears will see sense and offer Carter another deal.

Warwickshire 133 for 1 from 16 overs. Carter 91, Sangakkara 4.

Maddy chipped to mid-on to perish for 20 out of an opening stand of 89 in 12 overs with Carter but Carter is batting superbly. He is on 91 from 60 balls with 16 fours and two sixes and it has been far from indiscriminate slogging. Some very fine shots - cuts, drives and reverse-sweeps - too.

Warwickshire 170 for 2 from 25 overs. Sangakkara 23, Ambrose 16.

Carter pulled Marshall's first ball - a long hop - straight to deep mid-wicket to perish for 92 from 64 balls with 16 fours and two sixes. He received the warmest of ovations from a decent-sized crowd.

Sangakkara and Ambrose making more sedate progress now that spinners Marshall and Keedy are in tandem but the Bears are well-placed for a total in the region of 300.

Warwickshire 203 for 5 (33 overs). Trott 12, Loudon 2.

Lancashire have fought back well. Sangakkarra, having failed to impose himself, was lbw to a lovely flighted ball by Marshall for 23 from 33 balls, Ambrose (31 from 36) swept to deep square leg and Troughton gloved a slower ball from Mahmood to perish for 5.

It is up to Trott, strangely demoted to five in the order after top-scoring in the Hampshire debacle, to supervise the late-over thrash.

Warwickshire 253 for 7 (40 overs).

The Bears appear to have ended up about par after a useful late stand of 36 in four overs from James (18 not out from 12 balls including straight sixes off Chapple and Cork) and Streak (17 not out from 13 balls).

In a survey this week the custard cream was voted, by a vast majority, as Britain's favourite biscuit. Who could argue? It's a quality confection.

Lancashire 53 for 0 from 8 overs. Cross 33, Horton 12.

Cross has hoisted Thomas for six over mid-off and his five fours. An unpromising start for the Bears.

Lancashire 119 for 0 (16 overs). Cross 65, Horton 46.

Anyon and Carter were struck for six fours in eight balls at one stage. The seamers having been milked, spinners Loudon and James have just been introduced to the "attack".

The ground, despite a good number of people being in it, is very quiet as the Bears appear to be set to extend their poor record to just one win in 15 games in all competitions.

Lancashire 156 for 3 from 24 overs. Laxman 8, Croft 16.

Loudon made the breakthrough when Horton hoiked him to deep square leg. Cross then chopped James to backward point and Chilton turned Loudon straight to mid-wicket.

Are Lancashire about to add more grist to their reputation as chokers?

Whatever grist is.

Lancashire 208 for 4 (32.1 overs). Laxman 28, Cork 0.

Laxman and Croft added 65 from 64 balls before Croft, on 39, lifted Streak to Maddy who took a great low catch at mid-off.

Lancashire need 46 from 7.5 overs and it's getting very dark. Intriguing.

Lancashire 254 for 5 (39.5 overs). Won by five wickets with one ball to spare.

Alfonso Thomas almost got the Bears out of jail with a fine last over. Lancashire began the 40th over requiring only two runs but Thomas bowled Laxman with the first ball, then delivered two dot balls before a scrambled single took the scores level and another one secured victory.

How badly Warwickshire need to win at Northampton tomorrow. They must evoke the spirit of FR Foster, whose team famously clinched the county championship at Wantage Road in 1911.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Well, here's a game neither side can afford to lose.
Team changes: Maddy is ruled out by the ankle injury he collected fielding yesterday (he will have a scan tomorrow and his participation in the Twenty20 World Cup could be in jeopardy). Troughton and Anyon have been left out. In come Botha (for his debut) while Westwood and Groenewald return.

Northamptonshire won the toss and chose to field. Here we go: The Resistable Force v The Movable Object.

Warwickshire 28 for 0 (6 overs). Carter 20, Westwood 8.

A steady start. Carter, on 2, was dropped by Sales at slip off Klusener, but is again looking ingood nick.
Just popped back to my car, which I parked up about an hour ago, and there is a bird-related souvenir the size of a large pizza smack bang in the middle of roof.

Surely, there are no bleedin' seagulls in Northampton!!

George Dobell is on the phone to Jane Hyatt. "Carter is batting nicely," he says. And just as the "ly" in nicely is leaving Mr Dobell's lips, Carter chops Klusener straight into the hands of Wessels at point.

Carter c Wessels b Klusener/Dobell 24.

Warwickshire 37 for 1 (8 overs). Westwood 13, Sangakkara 0.

Warwickshire 112 for 3 (23 overs). Sangakkara 36, Trott 14.

Westwood lifted Klusener to Boje in the covers to fall for 25 (from 28 balls) then Groenewald, promoted to provide a bit of biffing, smote two fours but holed out in search of a third (out for 9).

At 80 for 3, the Bears needing shoring up and Sangakkara and Trott have spent the last six overs engaged in that process. Sangakkara has his head down and looks determined to play a valedictory match-winning innings. The contest is on a knife-edge.

Sangakkara clips Boje straight to Peters at mid-wicket and departs for 39.

117 for 4 (25 overs). Trott 17, Ambrose (acting captain today) 0.

Warwickshire 192 for 5 (36 overs). Trott 40, James 12.

Trott and Ambrose added 60 in 10 overs and batted intelligently before Ambrose, just starting to climb into a few strokes, was adjudged lbw, sweeping Boje, for 39. He did not like the decision.

This batting order is causing a few surprises. Groenewald at four. Loudon still to arrive at the crease, James having come in at seven but James has just swung Brown for six over mid-wicket.

Warwickshire 230 for 8 (40 overs).

Nick James delivered another bright cameo late in the innings (for 25) to lift Warwickshire to a total which looks about par.

Very difficult to call this one. The Bears need to take early wickets, field well - and get Sales early.

Warwickshire 27 for 1 (7 overs). Peters 10, Boje 0.

White smote Carter for three early fours but then, on 17, failed to control a cut at the left-armer and James took a fine catch at point.

Personally, I find 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?' almost intelligence-insultingly bland. Give me 'Mrs & Mrs' any day of the week.

If there has been a better catch anywhere in the universe this season than the screamer that Trott has just taken, one-handed miles to his right, at mid-wicket to dismiss Peters, then I'd be amazed.

An absolute belter - and the sort of flash of individual brilliance that can turn games. And, dare I day it, seasons?

Northamptonshire 48 for 2 (10 overs). Boje 3, Wessels 11.

Northamptonshire 100 for 2 (15 overs) Boje 14, Wessels 51.

Wessels has looked in tremendous nick from the word go. He smote his first two balls, from Thomas, for four and has just hit Streak so far over the stand at mid-wicket that the ball was temporarily lost.
When it was finally located, Wessels immediately clubbed it for four through the covers before lifting the next for six over long-leg to reach 50 from 26 balls.
Looking a smidgin dangerous.

Botha makes a sensational start. His first ball for Warwickshire is pitched well up and Wessels drives back a return catch to depart for 52 from 29 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

A huge wicket - and it's almost two in two for the debutant as Sales chips his first ball to extra-cover where James spills a fairly difficult chance.

Northamptonshire 113 for 3 (17 overs). Boje 23, Sales 1.

Nothamptonshire 168 for 3 (26 overs). Boje 42, Sales 37. Need 63 off 14 overs.

Another dangerous partnership is building. Botha replaced at the Football Ground End by Streak. Loudon, serving up a variety of offerings at the Pavilion End, has just been socked for four, dot, four, six by Sales.

Defeat today, remember, would mean Warwickshire have one foot in Division Two.

Northamptonshire 200 for 3 (31 overs). Boje 54, Sales 52.

Need 31 from 9. Cruising home.

Northamptonshire, bottom of Division One at start of play, very rarely cruise home.

Warwickshire will be bottom in about 20 minutes time.

Northamptonshire won by six wickets with four overs to spare.

The Supporters Forum on Thursday could be a bit lively.

Grisly stuff. This season is on a one-way ticket to Seagull City, calling only at Droppingsville.

JUST when the last grains of hope are trickling away, the unexpected can happen.

Thus it was that Colin and Debbie Moran-Simmonds's thwarted dreams of having a child finally came to fruition,

WHEN the school bell rings on that last day of the summer term, the holiday that stretches ahead seems for youngsters endless.

But this week grey trousers and skirts have been pressed, school shirts ironed and pens placed in blazer pockets.

THE controversy surrounding the MMR vaccine is abating.

The overwhelming majority of experts say there is no link between the jab and autism and the weight of scientific evidence appears to support their view.

DISTRICT Judge Kal Qureshi is right to be concerned that he could impose only puny fines on the low-lives involved in a dog fighting in Birmingham.

This was savage behaviour that caused terrible suffering for the animals set against each other and which outraged all decent-minded people.

POLICE dramas on television may still paint a picture of gritty detectives prowling the underworld looking for clues as they solve baffling crimes and, no doubt, that still happens.

But the truth is that modern crime-fighting now depends on hi-tech methods such as DNA matches, CCTV pictures and the sort of minuscule clues that are identified by boffins at the national forensic science headquarters in Birmingham.

HE WAS the larger-than-life Italian who loved football almost as much as he adored pasta and did more than anyone else in recent years to popularise opera.

Luciano Pavarotti was – culturally as well as physically – a huge figure on the world's cultural stage.

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. A huge boost for the Bears when the team-sheets are handed in. Surrey are without Harbhajan Singh with a foot injury so, with Chris Schofield away preparing for England duty, are deprived of both the spinners who have underpinned their recent good form. In comes Pakistani spinner Murtaza Hussain (mug with 524 first-class wickets behind him).

More good news for the Bears. They win the toss and bat. Westwood, Powell and Carter are back in the team and Woakes makes his championship debut.

Westwood edges the eleventh ball of the day, from Ormond, to second slip. Out for 4.
Warwickshire 16 for 1. Powell 8, Trott 4.

Bears target Paul Horton has signed a new two-year contract with Lancashire.

The state of Warwickshire's season is summed up perfectly by the attendance at Edgbaston today. Small, you could say.

Warwickshire 44 for 2 (10.1 overs). Powell 21, Troughton 0.

Trott, having looked in good nick, gets a jaffa from Nicholson and edges to the wicket-keeper to depart for 19. Agonising stuff for poor Trott, who started this match with a championship average of 18.81 this season.

There is some movement for the quick bowlers but Powell is digging in and also punishing any loose balls that come along, hitting four fours from his first 30 balls.

Warwickshire 77 for 2 (21 overs). Powell 37, Troughton 16.
Powell is batting very well, watchful but punitive of the bad ball having advanced to 37 from only 61 balls with seven fours. Troughton started very edgily but has settled to hit a couple of handsome boundaries.

How ironic it would be if Powell, having been maginalised throughout the reign of coach Mark Greatbatch, was to play a big innings which proved crucial to averting the embarrassment of a double-relegation.

Lunch. Warwickshire 140 for 2 (33 overs). Powell 61, Troughton 50.

These two batsmen have added 96 so far to repair the early damage. Both - and Troughton in particular - played and missed a bit early on but that was to be expected as the ball moved about in overcast conditions.

Surrey's bowlers have delivered a bit of filth in amongst the better stuff and, against an attack shorn of Singh and Schofield, Warwickshire will fancy building a very strong position from here.

Warwickshire 164 for 2 (42 overs). Powell 68, Troughton 61. Steady progress since lunch.
Look, it's been a gruelling, joyless season so let's strike a lighter tone with some JOKES.
Due to shortage of space I can't include the full jokes but here are some hugely amusing punchlines. Plase fill in the rest yourselves - and feels those sides split...
Thigh-slapping punchline number 1....."No, sir, I'm a frayed knot."
2........"Don't blame me, sir, I only laid the table."
3........"I'm sorry, I didn't realise it was her turn."
4........"But I just don't understand," she said. "He always made his own sandwiches."

Warwickshire 193 for 4 (54 overs). Loudon 0, Ambrose 0.

Troughton departs, a little unluckily, gloving Nicholson down the leg-side to the wicket-keeper. That ends a partnership of 149 in 42 overs with Powell. Troughton's share was 76 from 128 balls with 12 fours and a six, not one of his most stylish innings, but a pugnacious and highly valuable one.
Without another run added, Powell, lifts a pull to mid-on and, to the huge disappointment of the crowd, falls for 82 from 155 balls with 15 fours.

Warwickshire 228 for 6 (64 overs). Ambrose 16, Thomas 5.

Loudon slashed fecklessly to gully for 13 and then Botha, on 1, missed a rather ill-judged pre-meditated sweep and fell lbw to provide former Bahawalpur, Islamabad Cricket Association, Khan Research Labs, Pakistan Automobiles Corporation, Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, United Bank Limited, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City, Pyrford, Byfleet and St Albans spinner Murtaza Hussain with his first championship wicket.

Warwickshire 258 for 7. Ambrose 33, Woakes 9.

Thomas, on 9, failed to control a cut at Jordan and Benning took a fine diving catch at point.

Eighteen-year-old Woakes, in at nine, promptly pulled his first ball faced in the championship to the mid-wicket boundary for four. He then cut his sixth, from Hussain, for four more.
Ambrose is, as Ambrose invariably does, batting with sense and skill.

"Ambrose is, as Ambrose invariably does, batting with sense and skill."

In the last over before tea, Ambrose lifts a short ball from Jordan straight down the throat of deep square-leg. Out for 33.

Tea. Warwickshire 258 for 8. Woakes 9.

117 for 6 in the afternoon session.

In the first over after tea, Woakes chops Jordan to gully and exits for 9. 259 for 9.

This looks like a Bears total that opens up the prospect of an innings defeat. It's not a bad track and Surrey will fancy piling up 450-plus.

Anyon misses a hefty swipe at Hussain and is bowled for 13. Carter not out 14, including a six off Hussain.

All out 285. It appears a rather unsatisfactory score although, let's look on the bright side, if Surrey are 35 for 6 by the close it will seem an excellent score.

From 193 for 2, the last eight wickets fell for 92 runs in 26 overs. Rarely, since May, has a Warwickshire innings contained more than one significant hamster, er sorry, partnership.

Carter strikes with his eighth delivery, a superb away-cutter which Newman edges to Ambrose.

Surrey 0 for 1 (2.2 overs). Batty 0, Ramprakash 0.

Surrey 10 for 1 (12 overs). Batty 4, Ramprakash 6.
Carter and Thomas are making Surrey work hard for every run. Batty, on 3, edged Carter into his body and the ball rolled on to the stumps but didn't dislodge a bail, then on 4, edged Thomas to first slip but Powell dropped a staightforward chance. Ramprakash, on 6, edged Thomas just short of second slip.

I don't like to strike a lavatorial tone but whoever left those two large floaters in Trap 5 of the RES Wyatt Stand first-floor gents should take a good look at themselves.

Surrey 34 for 1 (20.3 overs). Batty 11, Ramprakash 23.

Woakes has added a bit of symmetry to the day. Having hit his first ball in championship cricket for four, he was duly socked for four when he bowled his first ball.

A bit of a spurt has taken Surrey above one run per over but it's been good old-fashioned atritional stuff. Like the old days - Bristol, 1936, for example, when Warwickshire's two innings against Gloucestershire amounted to 336 in 207 overs.

Close: Surrey 41 for 1 (24 overs). Batty 11 (from 70 balls), Ramprakash 29.
Carter and Thomas bowled very well and Anyon decently (although Ramprakash broke the shackles momentarily to lift him into the pavilion for six). Woakes and Botha both delivered their first champo overs for the Bears.

Someone on that list has got to have an inspired day tomorrow. Ramprakash, by the way, averages 96.80 in the champo for Surrey against Warwickshire since moving from Middlesex in 2001.

Ladies and gentlemen, I didn't find the forum particularly encouraging last night. Here's my take on it. I would be very interested to hear yours.

NOTHING funny happened on the way to the forum at Edgbaston last night.
But something very strange occurred as soon as it started. All 500 or so people present disappeared into a time warp.
On July 27, 2006, a supporters forum at Edgbaston attracted hundreds of Warwickshire members grumpy about their team's poor form, most of all a horrible capitulation at Scarborough.
They were assured by chief executive Colin Povey and director of cricket Mark Greatbatch that nobody was under any illusions about the situation and everybody was working ever so hard to turn things round.
Fast forward to September 6, 2007. Spooky. Hundreds of supporters, identically grumpy, were given identical assurances.
Unsurprisingly, few were placated by what they heard. But still the panel - Povey, Greatbatch and skipper Darren Maddy, along with Dennis Amiss in a lets-get-this-over-with-as-quickly-as possibly compere role - got off lightly.
Supporters forums are unwieldy beasts. For every one probing, weighty question from the floor, three tangential ones get in the way of what most people want to discuss. Probably 95 per cent of members present last night want Greatbatch out but there was no direct question to him, Povey or cricket committee chairman John Claughton (pressganged on to the panel late on) about his future.
Instead, other details were explored. Nobody asked if it was acceptable that, for much of the last two months, day-in and day-out, Warwickshire's cricket has been woefully sub-standard. But the lack of tank-tops in the club shop was lamented, as was the early-season failure to get the clocks right. And, of course, that old chestnut - parking. Warwickshire stand on the threshold of a humiliating double relegation but what about parking at the Constance Road end?
All valid concerns for members who pay their dues, of course. But last night they helped the panel off the hook.
Not that the audience failed to land any blows. Claughton got a rough ride. He looked startled to be "invited" up by Amiss and immediately undermined everything he has ever said or will ever say in his current role by insisting it was his "duty" to offer public support to the coach and players.
Duty? That's something you do, irrespective of merits, isn't it? On those grounds, if the Bears lose every game without collecting a single bonus point next season, Claughton will still offer support.
Back to the deja vu. Just like July '06, Povey and Greatbatch responded to questions with strained courtesy. The reaction from the floor was less-than-friendly. "Resign," cried a voice (re. Greatbatch). "Big girl," hollered another (re. Claughton). "Shambles," said another. "Garbage". "It's a fiasco." "Mr Povey hasn't got a clue about cricket."
Trouble was, it was all, as is the nature of forums, too disparate, achieving nothing bar, perhaps, convincing the panel of the depth of members' feelings. After graciously allowing the audience an extension beyond the ludicrously early originally-intended finishing time of 8.15pm, Amiss wrapped it up.
Ah well - see you next summer. Same cast, same script.