Brookes defies former team-mates to shore up Worcestershire

Ethan Brookes led the resistance against his old club as Worcestershire toiled after choosing to bat in the Rothesay County Championship derby at Edgbaston.

Worcestershire closed the first day on 262 for 8 with Brookes unbeaten on 80 off 128 balls having taken responsibility after the fall of captain Brett D'Oliveira (57 off 148) left his side on an unconvincing 175 for 5.

D'Oliveira had won the toss and chosen to bat on a good pitch but in perfect seam-bowling conditions with moisture in the air, grey cloud overhead and moderate light. Run-scoring was never easy against an attack led by former Worcestershire allrounder Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber who both ended the day with 2 for 47.

Even with the Kookaburra ball, the conditions were testing for batters and openers Gareth Roderick and Jake Libby added an uneasy 32 but then fell in successive overs. Both nicked nicely-shaped outswingers to wicketkeeper Kai Smith; Roderick off Barnard and Libby off Bamber.

Kashif Ali struck his first two balls to the off-side boundary but added just three more runs from the next 29 balls before going back to Barnard and falling lbw to one that kept a little low.

Adam Hose and D'Oliveira dug in to steady the innings, at one stage two runs coming from six overs before Hose pulled a rare loose ball from Bamber into the Hollies Stand. Three weeks ago, Hose smashed a dazzling, stroke-strewn 266 from 253 balls against Hampshire in Southampton. Care and caution were key this time in a partnership of 59 from 23 overs which ended when Hose hesitated when called for a single by D'Oliveira and was beaten by Barnard's throw.

D'Oliveira, on the ground where he made his first-class debut 13 years earlier, batted with good judgment and determination to try to vindicate his toss decision. He reached his 24th first-class half-century, from 137 balls, but then edged Beau Webster, back with the Bears after Australia duty, to Smith.

Tom Taylor played across a straight one from Taz Ali and was lbw. Brookes and Ben Allison added 46 but were parted by the new ball when the latter edged Bamber to slip. That brought in debutant Bertie Foreman, signed on a two-week loan deal from Sussex. A recent nine-for under his belt for Sussex 2nds against Lancashire at Horsham, Foreman will look forward to bowling on a pitch expected to turn later in the game, but made little headway with the bat before edging Olly Hannon-Dalby to second slip.

Brookes saw the day through before the light, never good, closed in. The allrounder will have his sights set on his second first-class century if the tail can stick in there with him.