Blewett leads Notts' response after Bell's historic knock

Nottinghamshire's Australian batsman Greg Blewett had his hopes of completing 1,000 runs in first-class cricket this summer frustrated by rain in their CricInfo Championship game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Blewett, needing 93 runs to reach the 1,000 mark, was going well on 67 when bad weather caused a 24 over stoppage. He was sensibly content to avoid mishap in the final session - finishing four runs short of his personal target on 89 not out as Notts reached 164-1.

Darren Bicknell fell early, lbw to Mel Betts, and Jason Gallian had to retire hurt on 23 when he was struck on the hand by Vasbert Drakes, but Blewett preyed on anything loose with consummate timing and seemed to have no trouble maintaining his concentration as the City of Birmingham Symphony went through a two-hour concert rehearsal in the adjoining Cannon Hill Park.

The pitch did not appear to be offering much to assist either seam or spin and Warwickshire's hopes of claiming a significant first innings lead were undermined when Betts went off with a side strain early in the Notts innings.

England 'A' batsman Ian Bell had earlier written his name in the Warwickshire record books when his 103 made him the youngest Championship century-maker in the county's history at 19 years and 115 days.

This beat Richard Sale, who was 19 and 296 days when he scored his maiden Championship hundred in 1939, and enabled Warwickshire, who were 270-5 overnight, to take their total to 373.

Bell, who was dropped when he had scored four, had another escape on 88 when a sharp chance off Kevin Pietersen was missed by Jason Gallian at slip and had batted for more than five and a half hours, hitting 15 fours, when he fell to a mistimed pull against left-arm-seamer Greg Smith.