Title chasers Warwicks switch focus to CB40

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Warwickshire will have the chance to press for honours this week even though the LV= County Championship leaders are not in four-day action.

The county face three matches in a week which got a long way to determining whether they progress to the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals, a competition they targeted during the winter after a poor title defence last year.

Warwickshire entertain Kent at Edgbaston in a day-night match on Monday (August 13) and then travel to Hove to play Sussex in a potential Group C decider on Wednesday August 15. A trip to Wormsley to play the Unicorns next Sunday completes a busy week of one-day cricket.

“We have got two massive CB40 games coming up, let’s not forget that,” said Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles. “After the disappointment of one-day cricket last year for us that’s a big trophy. We won it two years ago and we played a lot better in it this season. The County Championship is the pinnacle, that’s the one that everyone wants to win, but the CB40 is still huge.”

Warwickshire will be missing opening batsman Varun Chopra and all-rounder Chris Woakes who will be on duty at Edgbaston for England Lions in their four-day match against Australia A.

All-rounder Steffan Piolet, who helped to steer Warwickshire to an important CB40 win over Yorkshire at Edgbaston last Tuesday in partnership with Paul Best, is also doubtful because of a hamstring injury.

Rikki Clarke will be able to play only as a batsman because of a torn abdominal muscle which is expected to prevent him from bowling until the County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Edgbaston at the end of the month.


Date: 12/08/2012 17:56:35 by Paul Bolton
In: Warwickshire | Today |