Bears firmly in the driving seat as four pass 50
JONATHAN Trott was one of four players to make a half-century as Warwickshire took control on day two of their Specsavers County Championship match against Derbyshire.
The former England batsman, who on Thursday announced he would be retiring at the end of the season, scored 76 as Warwickshire closed on 375 for six at Edgbaston.
Matt Lamb, with a career-best 79 not out, nightwatchman Chris Wright (72), Will Rhodes (50) and Ian Bell (44) also made contributions as the Division Two leaders opened up a 57-run lead over their nearest challengers in the table.
For Derbyshire, it was a testing day.
On a pitch on which they chose to bat first, they bowled with insufficient accuracy to build the pressure needed to force errors.
After resuming on 32 for one, Warwickshire lost just one wicket in the morning session.
Rhodes completed his first halfcentury for his new club before edging Mark Footitt behind.
That was Footitt’s first wicket back at Derbyshire since joining on loan from Nottinghamshire and a second should have soon followed when Bell, on 12, edged but Billy Godleman dropped a straightforward catch at second slip.
Wright batted throughout the morning session and added 77 in 27 overs with Bell before the latter fell lbw to Hardus Viljoen.
The nightwatchman was within five runs of his career-best score when he missed an attempt to cut leg-spinner Matt Critchley and was bowled.
When Critchley trapped Sam Hain lbw, Warwickshire were 206 for five and Derbyshire had an opening but the next hour shaped the day as Trott and Lamb added an unbroken 60 up to tea.
Footitt looked understandably rusty and Viljoen and Duanne Olivier were erratic.
A day after revealing this would be his final season as a professional cricketer, Trott showed that his appetite for runs and ability to collect them remain high.
His departure, bowled by Critchley just before the close, evoked the warmest ovation of the day from another big Birmingham crowd.
Over-aggressive at first, Lamb settled to play some pleasing strokes in the final session and help ease his side into the lead and then into a position from which a significant advantage beckons today.