Warwickshire 281-5 v Sussex
Bowlers may have been fattening their averages in the opening weeks of the season but they do not tend to dominate too often at Hove whatever the weather. On Thursday, as scudding grey clouds gave way to blue skies, Jonathan Trott and Varun Chopra scored hundreds to put Warwickshire in a position to force their third successive victory.
Their stand of 219 in 64.1 overs was a third-wicket record against Sussex and, although the home side fought back with three wickets in the last hour, Trott hardly played a false shot, never mind offered a chance in an unbeaten 132 which included 21 boundaries.
Trott has had a few weeks off since helping England retain their No1 status with a hundred against Sri Lanka in Galle. Four days after celebrating his 31st birthday he played an innings of international quality in that utterly unflustered but authoritative way that has become his trademark. That he again took full toll against Sussex was no surprise. On his Warwickshire debut nine years ago he scored 134 and even made Mushtaq Ahmed look mortal. Two years later he lodged his career-best 226 against them.
Sussex were guilty of bowling a touch too full at him early in his innings and Trott prospered with a series of flowing drives on both sides of the wicket across a surprisingly quick outfield. He and Chopra wrested the initiative by taking 40 off the first seven overs after lunch and only Monty Panesar, despite being buffeted by a strong breeze, hinted at containment. There was even some slow turn for the left-arm spinner but little to trouble either batsman from the Sussex seamers. Amjad Khan was their quickest bowler but banged it in short too often - an exercise in futility on this pitch.
Chopra was quietly impressive at the other end. Strong square of the wicket, he made his third first-class hundred of the year. As part of the England Performance Programme squad he toured Sri Lanka during the winter and stayed on to score two centuries in their domestic competition. Chopra was as inscrutable as his partner until Luke Wells came on to bowl his occasional off-breaks and claimed only his third first-class wicket with his third ball.
Mike Yardy's decision to bowl first on a pitch which had been under cover for most of the week was not a surprise and the new ball duly nipped around. Will Porterfield was taken at second slip in an impressive spell by the tall Queenslander Steve Magoffin and Ian Bell, like Trott seeking form before the West Indies series in three weeks, endured a seven-ball duck as James Anyon knocked back his middle stump with a ball that nipped back that defeated an airy drive.
In the last hour Sussex fought back. Panesar switched ends and got belated reward when Jim Troughton edged to slip and Magoffin, the pick of their seam attack, pinned Darren Maddy with the new ball but the highly impressive Trott will take some shifting.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/26/sussex-warwickshire-county-championship
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