Warwicks still hopeful of CB40 semi-final

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Warwickshire are hoping to enjoy a Bank Holiday trip to the seaside by meeting Yorkshire at Scarborough on Monday and booking their place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals.

The county had planned to have secured their place in the last four before now but two defeats in three days last week, at home to Kent and against Sussex at Hove, means that they need to beat Yorkshire to qualify.

“Monday is a huge game. If we win we go through,” said Warwickshire director of cricket Ashley Giles. “We didn’t do ourselves any favours last week but the wicket was tricky here and overhead conditions suited Kent’s bowling. It was a big toss to win.

“Going to Sussex is always difficult. We are disappointed because we put ourselves in a position where we should have won that game.”

Warwickshire have hired a coach for their trip to Scarborough so that the players can rest and recuperate ahead of Tuesday’s LV=County Championship clash against Nottinghamshire, the first of two meetings in  three weeks with their fellow title contenders.

“We are looking at five days in a row of tough cricket. This is the sharp end of the season. This is where it counts and where it’s important you have your best players fit, firing and confident,” Giles said.

“We will go to Scarborough with good memories of the semi-final we won up there two years ago. Yorkshire have little or nothing to play for in that tournament and a massive Championship game on the Tuesday so hopefully we can catch them on the hop a little bit.

“We have got a later start on the first day against Notts which is nice of Mick Newell, who is a good bloke anyway, to agree to. We are going up to Scarborough on a coach so the guys can get some kip if they need it.

“It’s going to be horrid Bank Holiday traffic coming out of Scarborough and we have a duty of care to the guys as well after a long day’s cricket and a big game next day.

“If we win there we celebrate a bit as well. We are going up on the Sunday. We will meet at Edgbaston, have a bit of light white ball practice and then go up about three o’clock.”

Warwickshire have added all-rounder Neil Carter to their squad for a possible first appearance in the competition this season. The 37-year-old has been used only sparingly this season and has not appeared in the first team since a Friends Life t20 match at Worcester in June.


Date: 24/08/2012 11:31:39 by Paul Bolton
In: Warwickshire | Today |