Pitch problems add to Warwickshire woe

Lancashire 227 and 118 for 4 v Warwickshire 172
Scorecard

Birmingham doesn't generally have too much in common with the Caribbean, but there were shades of Antigua about Edgbaston yesterday.

It wasn't the rum cocktails or sandy beaches - sadly there's a noticeable absence of either in the Midlands - but there were some echoes of the aborted Test between England and West Indies at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in February 2009 around Edgbaston on the second day of this match.

Problems with the pitch have left batsmen and bowlers unhappy and raised some unsettling concerns for a ground that is looking forward to hosting a lucrative Test against India in August.

The problem? Well, firstly the batsmen are struggling to deal with unpredictable bounce. Several balls have taken off and flown through at head height; others have scuttled along the floor. It is, in short, a poor pitch.

But that's OK. These things happen and the Pitch Liaison Officer, Chris Broad, left after the first day declaring himself satisfied.

The more serious issue concerns the bowlers' take-off area. The turf in the area is loose and is rendering it difficult for bowlers to keep their footing. The groundstaff were called upon several times during the day to take remedial action and, after play, Warwickshire's captain, Ian Bell, suggested the whole area might require reinforcing with concrete before a Test is staged here.

"The pitch isn't ideal," Bell said. "We asked for a good batting wicket and it has helped the seamers. Both teams agreed before the game that we'd be prepared to wait for the area to be dug out and repaired if necessary. Credit to both teams, though: they've just got on with it. But you don't want to see anyone injured and it will have to be spot-on before the Test. Pro-active action might need to be taken."

Make no mistake: conditions are nowhere near as bad as they were in Antigua. The area affected here is relatively small and remedial action is possible.

But it would also be a mistake to play down the significance of this issue. Such problems are not acceptable in international cricket and Warwickshire, who have done so much excellent work in redeveloping their ground to top international standards, have some more work to do on the most fundamental facility they offer: their pitch.

To be fair to the club, there are mitigating circumstances for the problems. The outfield was relaid to improve drainage over the winter and the area where the new turf meets the old usually takes some time to bind. Though other grounds - and grounds that utilise drop-in pitches - have managed.

The pitch for this game was also switched at late notice. The original track was deemed too dry a couple of days before the start, so the club elected to use a different strip that appears to have started damp. Which is odd, as it hasn't rained in Birmingham for several weeks. As a result, the ball made indentations on the first day that are now providing extravagant assistance to the bowlers. There's every chance this game won't make it into the fourth day.

If it does end early, there seems to be every chance that Lancashire will be the victors. It was the visitors who ended a day on which 13 wickets fell in the far stronger position, with a lead of 173 and the likelihood that conditions will only become more difficult for batting. Anyone attending on the second day might have expected Jonathan Trott or Bell to provide the batting highlights. But it was actually Steven Croft. The 26-year-old shrugged off several blows to the body to ensure Lancashire didn't squander a strong position. When he came to the crease, with the score at 27 for 3 in their second innings and the lead just 82, Warwickshire were back in the game.

The hosts, however, will rue a number of missed chances. Trott, at first slip, put down two straightforward chances off Boyd Rankin to reprieve Mark Chilton on 18 and Croft on 31. Rankin, at mid-on, also failed to cling on to a chance offered by Croft on just 10 off Chris Woakes.

Earlier Warwickshire surrendered a first innings lead of 55 after they were dismissed for 172. Had it not been for an eighth-wicket stand of 56 between Tim Ambrose and Keith Barker it could have been even worse, with Ambrose defending bravely and counter-attacking fluently when the opportunity arose.

"He looks as if he's back to his best," Bell said afterwards. "Which is great news for the club. I still think that when he's on form, Tim Ambrose is among the best three wicket-keeper batsmen in the country."

Warwickshire's better-known batsmen failed to prosper. Trott was drawn into pushing at one that bounced and left him, Mohammad Yousuf played on as he tried an extravagant drive and Bell, having seen off the pace bowlers, fell in Simon Kerrigan's first over. It was a fine piece of bowling from the 21-year-old left-arm spinner, who lulled Bell into a false sense of security with two non-turning deliveries, before the next turned sharply and took the outside edge.

Luke Procter, who had only taken one first-class wicket before this game, also impressed. Though he has an ungainly action and no great pace, Procter bowled a testing line and length and allowed the pitch to do the rest. As a result, Rikki Clarke and Chris Woakes were caught off deliveries that bounced on them more than they expected.

Paul Horton, gloving a catch down the leg side, Stephen Moore, undone by one that kept low, and Karl Brown, who simply played down the wrong line, all fell early when Lancashire batted again. But thanks to Croft's resilience, Lancashire resume on the third day with an excellent chance of registering their third win of the season in just their fourth game.

"It's not a minefield and, with our batting line-up, I'd like to think we could chase any target," Bell said bravely afterwards. In truth, however, Warwickshire will have to bat superbly if they are to chase much over 200.