Piper leads Warwickshire recovery at Worcester

Warwickshire overcame a hostile spell by Alamgir Sheriyar to reach 256 for nine on the first day of their CricInfo Championship clash with neighbouring Worcestershire.

The left-arm paceman took three wickets in one over on a pitch with bounce and seam movement, but Warwickshire were probably the happier side at the close after a ninth-wicket stand of 75 in 21 overs by Keith Piper and Vasbert Drakes.

Wicket-keeper Piper secured a notable double with a share in the highest partnership and an unbeaten 79 for the top individual score on a day of problems for batsmen.

Piper hit 15 fours from 128 balls after being dropped at third slip on four and Drakes, a dangerous batsmen for his previous counties, Sussex and Notts, made 28 before Steve Rhodes comfortably held a top edge off Andy Bichel.

Sheriyar suffered as much as anyone during the Warwickshire revival and had to settle for figures of 4 for 70 from 30 overs which took him to 30 first-class wickets for the season.

Ian Bell went in his opening spell, edging to first slip, and in the afternoon, he bowled David Hemp and then had Neil Smith and Ashley Giles caught behind from successive balls.

Worcestershire's first-change seamers, David Leatherdale and Stuart Lampitt, had contributed to Warwickshire's struggle with three wickets before lunch.

Michael Powell edged Lampitt to first slip, Mark Wagh was lbw to Leatherdale, and Dominic Ostler offered no shot to a ball from Lampitt which uprooted the middle stump. The main resistance at that stage came from Dougie Brown, who held on for 32 from 89 balls before he was caught at second slip off Bichel.