walks across his stumps, and Abbas is stone-dead! The slowest of slow deaths from the umpire, surely thinking was there any way it wasn't out... and there wasn't! Angled in at the base of middle stump, and Warwickshire survive by the barest of margins!
Warwickshire vs Hampshire, at Birmingham, County DIV1, Sep 26 2022 - Match Result
4.51pm Wow. Liam Norwell is engulfed by his team-mates after the bowling display of his life, and most other lives! A career-best 9 for 62, and every one of them utterly critical to his team's slender, sinking hopes of salvation. It's 13 in the match as well... and the entire Hampshire team wait on the boundary's edge to shake his hand as he leads the teams off.
And so, just to reiterate, after their own 18-run loss to Gloucestershire yesterday, it is Yorkshire who go down, as Warwickshire pull off one of the most improbable escapes ever seen in the County Championship. What a climax to the 2022 season! Thanks for joining our final edition of County Cricket Pop-up Comms. Fair to say, that was worth tuning in for.
John: "Liam Norwell - The nation loves you! Always good when one of the "big" sides (that is those lucky enough to have Test grounds) goes down... and even better when its Yorkshire especially after the last year or two."
Richard: "Amazing game. County cricket, despite the best efforts of the ECB, is still incredible."
Alex W: "Even if no one else (I'm sure they did) noticed your callback to Ian Smiths "barest of margins", I definitely did, and I appreciate it immensely!" You saw what I did there...
Robin Bernstein: "As a Lancastrian I'm very happy by this result. Sending Yorkshire down is terrific, but it secures Lancs as runners up in all competitions this season (including that daft Hundred thingy if Manchester Originals count as well). Has that ever happened before?"
Rick Rom: "Just shows what fine margins there are - Yorks lost to Essex by 1 wicket recently - could easily gone the other way and this match is just as close..."
back of a length, Abbas hops back into the crease, to nudge to the on-side, thoughts of a single, but nope... not this time
Alan w: "Sat here in Yorkshire cheering on players to be honest I don't know much about"
full, floatier delivery, driven in the air out to point, where Brookes tidies up
solidly onto the front foot, and pushed into the off side
Eight for Norwell, and still he's not finished. Five balls at the No.11, to keep Warwickshire in the First Division!
bowled him, middle stump is gone! Unbelievable scenes! Hits the pitch hard outside off, Fuller pushes loosely and snags an inside edge to demolish his own timbers! We are going to the absolute wire here!
onto the front foot, hits the pad but down the leg side. Another tidy over, to keep Warwickshire afloat, and give the tireless Norwell another shot
fired past the legs on the full. Gets that one wrong, but gets away with it
Ed: "For the neutrals out there, would love to see this get done to 4 to win with one wicket remaining. Every result in the balance with every ball" You may yet get your wish!
fractionally shorter, an expansive swish across the line, not perfectly timed out to deep midwicket
hard-handed jab past the cordon! Fuller length, and all the more tentative for it. Only two slips, but deep third cuts off the boundary
explosive off the pitch! Rears past the splice and Davies does brilliantly to claw it down, that had four byes all over it!
perfect line and length! So nearly snags the edge as it snaps off the pitch, Gus Fraser-style, past the edge
Hannon-Dalby, pounding in again
drawn onto the front foot, firmly pushed into the covers, they are happy to take the single - as well they might
back of a length, angled in, a tentative prod with an open face, out to backward point
tucked to long-on, and Wheal will have two balls to see off
belted superbly down the ground! A fraction too full, Norwell sticks out a boot but can't intercept, nor can long-off! The target is into single figures
looking to tuck to mid-on, but can't create the angle
bouncer, down the leg side, the key man Fuller is not tempted
Norwell hauls himself back to the top of his mark. How many more chances can be get to win this?
nip and bounce! So nearly snags the edge as Wheal is lured, and beaten past the splice. Crumbs!
Richard Holroyd: "... and Hannon-Dalby, like Rhodes, is a Yorkshireman ...." The War of the Roses?
nipping away on a fourth-stump line, Wheal ignores
Richard: "Finished a meeting and put the stream back on. First ball - wicket. Warwickshire fans: you're welcome."
back of a length, rising past the off stump, and through to the keeper
Edgbaston, Birmingham | |
Toss | Hampshire, elected to field first |
Series | |
Season | 2022 |
Match days | 26,27,28,29 September 2022 - day (4-day match) |
Umpires | |
Match Referee | |
Points | Warwickshire 21, Hampshire 4 |