Woakes puts gloss on title

Warwickshire wrapped up the LV County Championship Division Two title before lunch on the second day against Glamorgan at Edgbaston.

They moved level with Worcestershire by taking three points for a total of 315 and then overhauled the long-term leaders with three wickets from Chris Woakes in the first nine overs of Glamorgan’s reply.

The England Under-19 seamer went on to take a career-best 6-68 – his third five-wicket return in 10 matches this season – but Jamie Dalrymple counter-attacked with 92 from 126 balls as Glamorgan recovered from 43 for six.

Avoiding the follow-on with eight wickets down, they had cut the deficit to 122 when Dalrymple was last out with the total on 193, caught on the long-off boundary in an unsuccessful effort to reach a century before running out of partners.

Warwickshire quickly lost their captain, Darren Maddy, edging Jason Gillespie’s second ball to second slip, and when bad light ended play early, Glamorgan’s seamers had pegged them back to 55 for three, a lead of 177.

Neil Carter's quickfire 63 rubbed Glamorgan's nose in it before Chris Woakes struck

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A fast-moving day of 16 wickets began with a milestone for Adam Shantry as Glamorgan’s left-arm seamer removed Warwickshire’s top scorer, Tim Ambrose, on his way to a championship-best five for 77 against his former county.

Neil Carter resumed with four consecutive fours off Gillespie and then went for 63, edging to Michael Powell in the slips, but Ambrose failed to add to his overnight 86 before he was caught behind off former Warwickshire man Shantry.

Woakes, last out to Shantry, was quickly back in the action with a beautifully controlled new-ball spell in helpful conditions.

Gareth Rees’ recent good form came to a halt when Jim Troughton held a low chance at backward point and the 19-year-old Woakes removed Tom Maynard and Powell in four balls in his fifth over.

David Hemp was fourth out at 32, a limp shot off Boyd Rankin flying to backward point, and there was little or no resistance from Mark Wallace, caught behind off Woakes, and Ryan Watkins, bowled by Carter.

Dalrymple finally found some support from Robert Croft in a partnership of 106, nearly half of the runs coming after umpire Graham Burgess rescinded an lbw decision against Croft on consulting with square leg colleague, Jeremy Lloyds.

Croft was eventually bowled for 33 by Trott (2-22) and David Harrison (20) made sure that Warwickshire would have to bat again before Woakes polished off the last two wickets in successive overs.

Ian Salisbury’s bowling may not have been required on a seamers’ pitch but the veteran leg-spinner was awarded the third county cap of his career – 17 years after the first at Sussex and a decade since the next one with Surrey.