Date-stamped : 30 May95 - 06:29 CC: Warwickshire v Somerset, Edgbaston, 25-29 May 1995 ====> Day 1, 25 May 95 Bowler relishes change of role - Mike Beddow First day of four: Somerset (298-4) v Warwicks MIKE GATTING and Alec Stewart got it badly wrong in earlier matches. But that did not deter Dermot Reeve - the third captain to field after winning the toss at Edgbaston this season. So far Somerset, and Peter Bowler in particular, have benefited from the opening strategic exchange. Bowler accepted the invitation to enjoy his first day as acting captain, a position that became his when Andy Hayhurst dislocated a finger on Wednesday. Like many of his debuts, it was decorated by a century. Having scored hundreds on first appearances for Leicestershire and Derbyshire, he graduated to leadership with an undefeated 122. He batted for nearly six hours during which the bowlers found their work increasingly tiresome. At least Reeve car- ried the burden for policy-making by delivering 25 overs himself. Consistent swing was only negated by Bowler`s almost flawless judgment. Aside from an early appeal for a catch behind, errors were minimal. In contrast, others were unseated after building a base. Marcus Trescothick was surprised by one that lifted and Mark Lathwell`s legside tendency cut short adventurous progress to 47 from 70 balls. Richard Harden and Keith Parsons later had valuable parts to play in shaping the destiny of a side who need a sizeable total to compensate for a much-depleted seam attack. Finally, their pur- pose was served by Piran Holloway, featuring in an unbroken partnership of 123 on his first return since leaving Warwickshire in 1993. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 2, 26 May 95 Somerset crawl to record high - Mike Beddow Second day of four: Warwickshire (96-1) trail Somerset (495) by 399 runs SO FAR Somerset have only a couple of incidental records with which to measure their domination of the champions. The issue now is whether they have sufficient bowling resources to secure a first championship win of the season. Their injury situation is so dire that they could well field 11 amateurs in a 2nd XI game on Monday. Yet at least in terms of their batting, they have glossed over the absence of five senior players. A total of 495 was their highest in 55 visits here, and a partnership of 187 in 80 overs by Peter Bowler and Piran Holloway set a Somerset record for the fifth wicket in this fixture. The adhesive effect of Bowler`s innings of 176 - an eight-hour monument to Warwickshire`s misreading of the pitch on Thursday morning - was such that Harvey Trump, the No 11, was the only batsman not to reach double figures. Progress was more soporific than stimulating, with 44 maidens among 177.5 overs and a scoring rate of 47 per hour. Warwickshire became so numbed that slip and stumping chances were missed from Bowler. Holloway eventually padded up to a full toss from Neil Smith, and Bowler (21 fours from 419 balls) was bowled out of the rough by Richard Davis. Warwickshire`s woes continued when Andy Moles was beaten on the drive by Jason Kerr, but Nick Knight, crucially dropped by Hollo- way at 32, and Wasim Khan reduced a yawning deficit with an un- broken 66. Even so, they require a further 250 to avoid the follow-on today. ====> Day 3, 27 May 95 Champions on go-slow - Mike Beddow Third day: Somerset (495 & 66-3) lead Warwickshire by (314-4d) by 247 runs SOMEWHERE in the course of Trevor Penney`s first century of the season there was a drastic restructuring of this moribund match. Probably not before time after the two sides had accumulated 809 runs from nearly 300 overs, more than a quarter of which were maidens. The two captains went into a huddle at tea, and came up with a new scheme. Warwickshire declared 181 behind at 314 for four and Somerset, after a start bordering on carelessness, made 66 for three to finish 247 ahead. The mood of contrivance unnecessarily stretched to the use of part-time bowlers and for many it was merciful release when rain arrived 35 minutes from the close. Initially, Warwickshire were so mindful of the 346 needed to avoid the follow on that they added 59 in 21/4 hours to lunch. Only the guile of Mushtaq Ahmed`s bowling gave any meaning to this state of inertia. Of the 89 balls in his first spell, 11 produced runs but in terms of advancing the game, the only progress came with the one that bowled Nick Knight for 58 after a stand of 96 with Wasim Khan. For the senior of two left-handers, this was a fourth half- century in five championship innings since arriving from Essex. For the younger partner, there was continuation of symmetrical development after four years in second-team cricket. Wasim has improved on his best score in each of five innings so far, advancing to 89 here with a curious blend of tentative prob- ing against Mushtaq and free expression with 13 fours and a six. The whole package covered five hours - and three chances in quick succession - before Jeremy Hallett took two wickets with the new ball. Wasim was lbw straight away and Roger Twose was punished for an airy drive. Penney wore the grafter`s armband with a half-century from 139 balls - and only four boundaries - and then ushered in the re- vised strategy with a second fifty from 51 deliveries including seven fours and two sixes. At least there was one batsman - pre- viously short of runs this season - who gained some benefit from the proceedings. He shared stands of 99 with Wasim and an unbro- ken 79 with Dermot Reeve. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) ====> Day 4, 29 May 95 Plucky Moles steers Warwicks to victory - Mike Beddow Warwickshire (314-4 dec & 304-7) bt Somerset (495 & 119-4) by 3 wkts ALL is well at Edgbaston in terms of the County Championship. Warwickshire have won all three games here and, with four vic- tories in all, they continue to shadow Northamptonshire at the top of the table. They reached a target of 301 in 80 overs with seven balls to spare - all the result of canny bargaining when the game was slumbering on Saturday and finally a century from Andy Moles. For a little over five hours, and batting with a runner for much of that time because of a calf injury, Moles gave his side the necessary belief. Numerous partners contributed along the way un- til Dougie Brown supplied the telling surge in a stand of 81 from 11 overs. If there had been any justice, Moles would have stayed to the end, but with 20 boundaries in his 131, he swept for what would have been the winning run but top-edged to short fine leg. Brown hit the next ball to the boundary, finishing with 36 from 27 balls. Source :: The Electronic Telegraph (http://www.telegraph.co.uk) Contributed by The Management (help@*ogi.edu)