Worcs make their point

Gareth Batty opened the bowling with Vikram Solanki

Worcestershire concentrated their efforts on ensuring they avoided a points deduction for a slow over-rate rather than trying to force an unlikely victory against Warwickshire.

Their rain-hit LV County Championship Division One clash at Edgbaston ended in a tame draw.

Bottom-placed Worcestersgure began a shortened final day four overs behind the required rate, which would have meant them losing two points.

And, when Warwickshire began their second innings 56 runs adrift, it was the spin duo of Gareth Batty and Vikram Solanki who took the new ball in front of a couple of hundred spectators rather than Kabir Ali and Doug Bollinger.

Batty and Solanki rattled through nine overs in only 20 minutes of unedifying cricket to bring Worcestershire up with the rate against the home side’s openers Ian Westwood and Kumar Sangakkara.

By lunch 18 overs had been bowled in 45 minutes after overnight rain meant play had got under way an hour and a quarter late.

Given the fact heavy rain set in during the interval to force an early finish, Solanki could claim that his decision to sacrifice slim hopes of Worcestershire achieving their first win of the campaign was justified.

But it exposed the flaws in the current rules regarding over rates whereby a side can make up deficiencies in that department by employing such tactics.

Sangakkara was promoted to open in place of Warwickshire skipper Darren Maddy who was suffering with a sore calf although he will be fit for Wednesday’s Friends Provident Trophy semi-final with Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.

Vikram Solanki ensured the visitors avoided a points deduction for a slow over rate

The Sri Lankan batsman finished unbeaten on 34 containing four fours while Westwood, whose place against Hampshire could under threat from Ian Bell if given permission by England to play, was on 14 not out.

Batty bowled nine overs for 25 runs while Solanki conceded 18 in seven before making way for Nadeem Malik.

Losing nearly 200 overs to the weather during the four days meant a positive result was always going to be difficult to achieve.

But Worcestershire will now need a major upturn in results when they return to championship action after the break for Twenty-20 cricket.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes defended his side’s tactics as they collected 11 points to Warwickshire’s 10.

He said: “The forecast influenced the fact we started with two spinners. It wasn’t ideal tactics for people coming to watch - their openers against our opening bowlers.

“But getting the over rate up was crucial to us because we were down two points and it was our priority. You can’t afford to lose two points because that is the equivalent of taking six wickets which could take you all day to achieve.

“However, we didn’t do it just for the sake of the over rate. Openers don’t like facing spin on the fourth day and there was a bit of rough there as well. We needed to take a couple of wickets and we kept the fielders in catching positions.

“We thought of it as an attacking option as well as being of our main purpose to get the over rate up.”