Ethan frustrates ex-county as Pears fight back

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

- By BRIAN HALFORD

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

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 all-rounder Ed Barnard and Ethan Bamber who both ended the day with two 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 offside 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.