Troughton makes most of drop

Jim Troughton © Getty Images

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Warwickshire batsman Jim Troughton made local rivals Worcestershire pay for dropping him on nought as he registered his third century of the season in the LV County Championship Division One clash at Edgbaston.

Troughton followed up his 162 in the meeting at New Road last month by making 109 off 137 balls with 15 boundaries as Warwickshire recovered on a rain-shortened second day to reach 343 all out.

But it could have been a different story had Worcestershire wicket-keeper Steven Davies clung on to a chance offered by Troughton on Friday evening off the bowling of Kabir Ali before he had scored.

It proved a costly miss for the bottom-placed visitors who were on top when Warwickshire resumed on 86 for four but quickly surrendered the initiative.

The ball did not swing as much as on the opening day when play got under way half an hour late but that was no excuse for some indisciplined and ill-directed bowling.

Kabir resumed with impressive figures of 3-32 but he conceded 10 runs in his first over on Saturday to set the tone for the remainder of the Warwickshire innings.

Troughton and his fellow batsmen feasted on a diet of long-hops and over-pitched deliveries and it was not hard to see why Worcestershire are still searching for their first Championship win of the campaign.

Jim Troughton celebrated his third century © Getty Images

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Warwickshire quickly improved their overnight position with Troughton and Alex Loudon adding 76 in 16 overs before the latter drove aggressively at Kyle Hogg and was caught behind for 36.

Tim Ambrose, fresh from his superb century in the Friends Provident Trophy against Durham, again looked in good form after joining Troughton and reeled off a series of powerful drives as the curtailed morning session realised 135 runs from only 25 overs.

The 100-run stand came up in 21 overs but there was no addition before Ambrose (42) aimed to hit Hogg through mid-on and only succeeded in edging through to Davies to leave Warwickshire on 262 for six.

Troughton went to three figures of 125 balls in style with three successive boundaries off Hogg.

He eventually became the third victim of the Davies-Hogg combination after making 109 off 137 deliveries with 15 fours.

Bollinger has endured an unproductive time in his debut season at New Road but he polished off the Warwickshire innings with three wickets in the space of four overs to finish with 4-102.

Naqaash Tahir (0) edged a delivery to Davies, Dale Steyn (11) was caught by Ben Smith running back from slip and James Anyon (two) was yorked to leave Tim Groenewald unbeaten on 41.

Worcestershire openers Phil Jacques and Stephen Moore added 63 in relatively untroubled fashion.

But Groenewald broke through with only his second delivery when Jacques (34) flicked a ball off his toes straight into the hands of Anyon at fine leg.

However, Moore dug in and remained unbeaten on 29 out of 77 for one from 28 overs.