Worcestershire may have won the day, but Alex Davies’ heroics again stole the show in the latest faceoff at Visit Worcestershire New Road. He made and overtook 1,000 runs in Division one of the Vitality County championship this summer and is the captain of Warwickshire.
On a rain-affected second morning of the match against Worcestershire, he composed his maiden Test hundred, thereby limiting the overall length of the game. Davies, who is 30 years of age, started the day requiring only 34 runs to complete 1000 runs. He executed his stroke with precision, striking Logan van Beek square of the wicket, which resulted in a boundary, making him the first player to achieve this feat in the competition this season.
This report will be Davies’ second visit; he did so for Lancashire in 2017. Now that he is captaining the Warwickshire side, he has once again shown his class and solidity in the middle of the field.
A season to remember
Despite the rain and the bad light that hampered the match to a large extent, Davies got to the landmark in style. He challenged Logan van Beek in a ferocious over, sending him for two sixes and a ball, and thus crossed the 1000-run mark.
Despite Kohli’s aggressive individual play in the final over, he also demonstrated control over his shots, scoring his fifty in just 59 balls with three sixes and six fours. This kind of performance was an exhibit of control and assurance, as Davies appeared not to mind the weather factor that finally spoiled the game.
A rainy day with bright moments
Although the day belonged to Davies, the game remained a washout due to bad light and rain, testing the patience of all the players as well as the spectators. Rain forced the suspension of the day’s play at 2:15 PM, leaving only 37 overs available for bowling. However, before the weather became too unpredictable, a thrilling moment occurred.
Worcestershire resumed their first inning, and they managed to get their second batting point through some lower-order fightback. It was a Championship debut for Jack Home, who played some aggressive strokes, including two boundaries in a row from Chris Rushworth before Worcestershire reached the 300-mark.
However, Rushworth’s bowling did not end here, as he claimed two wickets in the final three balls of the Worcestershire innings. Before he bowled Amar Virdi for 29, Rushworth bowled the home LBW for 29, and if Tom Taylor hadn’t arrived on 36, the game would have been tight.
Taylor did not rest on his laurels, either; he bowled with Worcestershire’s new ball and took an early wicket when play continued. His very good spell consisted of beating the bat all the time, which put additional pressure on the Warwickshire batsmen. Virdi caught Rob Yates on the leading edge at midfield for a duck, placing Taylor on the wickets’ list.
The impressive spell of Davies and Brookes was followed by their dismissal.
In the post-lunch session, Worcestershire had some solace when debutant Ethan Brookes, the former Warwickshire all-rounder, got into the wickets with his first ball, cleaning up Rhodes for 91. However, the highlight of the day was visiting Davies’ camp. Brookes bowled a great spell and was able to remove Warwickshire’s captain for 58.
On this occasion, Davies attempted to drive but completely missed his line, resulting in the ball knocking over his leg stump. It was the closing phase in the match, whereas Davies was in commanding form and could easily become another centurion. Logan van Beek, one of the bowlers who suffered bitter bowled insults from Davies, changed ends and got his wicket when he dismissed Sam Hain for 11.
As the play neared its end due to poor lighting, Logan van Beek, one of the bowlers who had endured harsh insults from Davies, secured his wicket and the two sides departed the field for the final time of the day. People anticipated a downpour and overcast weather all day long, but thanks to Alex Davies’ momentous occasion, there was something extraordinary for the fans to remember.