LV County Championship Division One Somerset v Warwickshire (2nd Day)

IAN BELL continued to pile misery on Somerset on the second day of the County Championship match at Taunton as Warwickshire progressed to 500 all out.

Desperate to regain his England place, Bell was in merciless mood as he took his overnight 84 not out to 172 before being caught behind to give Ben Phillips a fourth wicket.

Half-centuries from Tim Ambrose and Chris Woakes boosted the total after Jim Troughton, 58 overnight, was dismissed for 77. It was the first time Warwickshire had scored 500 in a match against Somerset.

Phillips finished with four for 100. In reply, Somerset cruised to 70 without loss off 19 overs on the flat pitch, Arul Suppiah unbeaten on 31 and Marcus Trescothick 27.

Starting the day on 189 for three, Warwickshire progressed without alarm to 220 before Troughton, having faced 134 balls and hit 11 fours, edged Charl Willoughby to third slip where Phillips took a juggling catch.

Bell reached an almost faultless century off 185 balls, with 15 fours, as Ambrose helped take the total to 331 for four at lunch. By then Bell was on 155.

His memorable innings came to an end in luckless fashion when a thin leg glance off Phillips brought a superb catch by wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter, diving full-length to his left.

Bell, who by then had faced 272 deliveries and extended his boundary count to 22, left the field swishing his bat in frustration at missing out on a double hundred.

From 361 for five Somerset hit back as Rikki Clarke edged a lifter from Mark Turner and departed for a duck. Ambrose soon followed, bowled by a ball which turned from off-spinner Omari Banks, but by then he had scored 57 off 115 balls, with six fours.

It was 399 for eight when Neil Carter fell lbw to Willoughby for 21, but Somerset’s work was far from done as 20-year-old Woakes showed why he is rated such a fine prospect.

Batting at nine, he made a fluent 63 hitting seven fours and a big six over mid-wicket off Banks.

A last-wicket partnership of 67 with Joe Anyon meant further frustration for a home attack that struggled for line and length.

With the sun shining for the first time in the match, Trescothick and Suppiah soon launched Somerset’s reply with a flourish and a draw is already looking by far the most likely result.

Scoreboard

LV County Championship Division One Somerset v Warwickshire At Taunton

Overnight: Warwickshire 189-3 (I R Bell 84 no, J O Troughton 58 no).

Warwickshire First Innings

I R Bell c Kieswetter b Phillips ..............172

J O Troughton c Phillips b Willoughby ..77

T R Ambrose b Banks ..........................57

R Clarke c Kieswetter b Turner ............. 0

N M Carter lbw b Willoughby ...............21

C R Woakes c Langer b Willoughby .....63

A G Botha c de Bruyn b Turner .............15

J E Anyon not out ...............................15

Extras (b24 lb19 w11 nb2 pens 0) 56

Total (129.4 overs)...................500

Fall: 1-12 2-66 3-66 4-220 5-361 6-362 7-385 8-399 9-433

Bowling: Willoughby 31.4-7-87-3. Phillips 28-9-100-4. Turner 21-3-82-2. Trego 13-2- 56-0. de Bruyn 16-3-44-0. Banks 20-2-88-1.

Somerset First Innings Close

M E Trescothick not out ......................27

A V Suppiah not out ............................31

Extras (b8 nb4 pens 0) ................12

Total 0 wkts (19 overs)..............70

To Bat: J L Langer, J C Hildreth, Z de Bruyn, C Kieswetter, P D Trego, B J Phillips, O A C Banks, M L Turner, C M Willoughby.

Bonus Pts: Somerset 3 Warwickshire 5

Bowling: Carter 8-1-27-0. Woakes 5-1-22- 0. Anyon 4-1-11-0. Botha 2-0-2-0.