Leicestershire toil in gloom

Jonathan Trott passed the half-century mark before rain ended play © Getty Images

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Warwickshire batsmen Jonathan Trott and Tim Ambrose made sure Leicestershire finished empty-handed in the 21.4 overs bowled in a second rain-curtailed day in the LV County Championship Division Two meeting at Edgbaston.

Trott reached an unbeaten 56 - his second half-century in three innings on his home ground this season - and Ambrose's 46 not out is his highest score since he compiled a maiden Test century against New Zealand in Wellington last month.

After waiting until the afternoon to resume, the fifth-wicket pair advanced their partnership to 95 as Warwickshire moved up to 197 for four, but the match has yet to take shape with more than 120 overs lost at the halfway point.

Ambrose made a quiet start to the season with scores of 15 and 19 at Northampton last week but an innings of growing authority against a steady Leicestershire attack was his way of reminding the selectors that he is the man in possession of the wicketkeeping position in the Test side.

Trott also has higher ambitions after two Twenty20 internationals last summer and a winter tour to India with England Lions.

Tim Ambrose showed off his skills in making an unbeaten 46

Progress at this level was in stark contrast to a disappointing championship season.

The South Africa-born batsman scored only 396 runs at an average of 19.80 but now he is looking to advance his England claims with a big year in county cricket.

Having started at Edgbaston with 80 against Worcestershire, he set his stall out for a longer innings against Leicestershire.

A measured 50 spanned 119 balls and contained only five boundaries - one of these from an edge past second slip in Dillon du Preez's first over on the second day.

This was an isolated scare as two well-set batsmen added 69 in 85 minutes before rain caused a frustrating hold-up.

Leicestershire's winter recruitment has improved their bowling options.

South African debutant Du Preez, who played league cricket in Birmingham in 2004, looks a worthy addition with two wickets and a good economy rate.

Nadeem Malik, the newcomer from Worcestershire, already has a five-wicket return to his credit in the opening win against Middlesex and, though without success here in 17.4 overs, he was unfortunate not to dislodge Trott with a quicker ball that climbed past the outside edge.