Ian Westwood supplied the batting backbone that Warwickshire desperately needed with a defiant century on the opening day of their Specsavers County Championship match with Surrey at Edgbaston.
Former captain Westwood, back in the team after recovering from a broken foot, made 153 (227 balls, 21 fours, two sixes) out of his side's 292 for six.
Beneath unremittingly grey skies, with the floodlights on all day, the 34-year-old showed the resilience and concentration that Warwickshire's batsmen sorely lacked in their first two matches. Having failed to take a single batting point from those games, both innings defeats, Ian Bell's side will hope that their season started here.
For Surrey, things did not go quite to plan after they chose to bowl on a good batting pitch. Their seamers fought back impressively in the final session, taking three wickets including Westwood, but it again raised the question of whether captains are sometimes seduced into bowling first simply because they have the option.
When these teams met at The Oval two weeks ago, Warwickshire chose to bowl and Surrey closed day one on 327 for three, the foundations of an innings victory firmly laid.
👏 | @ianwestwood08's 150 came from 216 balls and included 21 fours and 2 sixes. #YouBears pic.twitter.com/LXpmAO5828
— Warwickshire CCC 🏏 (@WarwickshireCCC) April 21, 2017
Surrey's bowlers were no doubt eager to get straight at opposition they skittled for 91 two weeks ago but opening pair Westwood and William Porterfield (45, 97 balls, seven fours) added 126 before the latter edged Tom Curran to second slip in the last over before lunch.
Jonathan Trott hit three sumptuous fours in a run-a-ball 14 but then edged Tom Curran to Scott Borthwick in the slips. Westwood and Ian Bell added 79 in 21 overs before Bell (33, 64 balls, seven fours) fished at one from Mark Footitt and Borthwick accepted another sharp chance.
Ateeq Javid, also playing his first game of the season having replaced the out-of-form Sam Hain, knuckled down to make 14 in 70 minutes out before falling to the persevering Curran (T). Javid edged into the slips two balls after Surrey were convinced that he had nicked one to the wicketkeeper. Surrey were less than sympathetic when he was out.
Surrey fought hard and bowled well in a last session trimmed of 12 overs by bad light. Sam Curran trapped Tim Ambrose (23, 33 balls, four fours) lbw with the third ball with the new ball and then Footitt struck the big blow when Borthwick's third catch of the day sent Westwood on his weary way.