Ambrose lined up for Warwicks return

By Paul Bolton, County News Correspondent

Former England wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose is set to make a swift return to action in Warwickshire’s LV= County Championship match against Middlesex at Uxbridge on Wednesday August 1.

Ambrose missed the draw with Surrey at Edgbaston with a thigh injury and was expected to be sidelined for two weeks. But he came through two workouts earlier today (Monday), one before the start of play and the second at tea, without suffering any reaction to his injury and he has now declared himself fit to face Middlesex.

Ambrose’s return means disappointment for his understudy Richard Johnson who was recalled from a loan spell with Derbyshire to face Surrey. Warwickshire had hoped Johnson might be able to rejoin Derbyshire on loan but that now seems doubtful because Tom Poynton, for whom he had been covering, has recovered from an abdominal muscle injury.

Johnson made a match-winning 79 for Derbyshire in a Clydesdale Bank 40 match against Yorkshire last week and a Championship-best 49 in the first innings against Surrey.
 
But his glovework still has plenty of room for improvement. The 23 year-old from Solihull dropped Surrey’s Rory Burns first ball on Saturday evening, a lapse that allowed Burns to make 77 runs which helped to frustrate Warwickshire’s victory push.

Johnson also had a difficult final day standing up to former New Zealand off-spinner Jeetan Patel which appeared to confirm Warwickshire’s view that he needs to be playing regular first team cricket – almost certainly away from Edgbaston – if he is to achieve his obvious potential.


Date: 30/07/2012 23:26:24 by Paul Bolton
In: Warwickshire | Today |