Warwickshire 484-7 dec v Hampshire 309-1

Warwickshire’s bowlers could be forgiven a sense of irony.

All season they have plugged away as batsmen plunder flat pitches which offer bowlers the stingiest help and encouragement.

Suddenly, on the second morning at the Rose Bowl, the pitch still damp, the ball does all sorts. Zip. Lift. Lateral movement. There are wickets to be had. Unfortunately, the Bears are batting.

Then the sun comes out. The pitch dries out. And, by the time the Bears bowlers take their turn next day, it is the flattest yet, offering the stingiest help and encouragement yet.

The second-morning minefield evolved into a third-day cafeteria and, as yet another championship match headed for a draw, the third day brought 410 runs for the loss of one wicket.

Warwickshire took their overnight 383 for seven to 484 as Jonathan Trott and Chris Woakes extended their partnership to 222. Then Hampshire replied with 309 for one.

Openers Michael Carberry and Jimmy Adams added 261. When, deep in the last session, Adams flicked Ian Westwood to Trott at mid-wicket, it ended a passage of 84 overs, including 362 runs, without a wicket.

Run-gluttons among the spectators loved it. The rest pined for a vestige of balance between bat and ball. And this is the pitch earmarked for this ground’s inaugural Test match in 2011!

The contest is going nowhere but the match crept into the record books. The 222 unbroken added by Trott (184, 284 balls, 22 fours) and Woakes (131, 183 balls, 16 fours, one five, one six) is an eighth-wicket record for Warwickshire against Hampshire, surpassing the 143 by Septimus Kinneir and Sydney Santall at Edgbaston in 1911. The declaration left them six short of the county’s all-time eighth-wicket record: 228 by Arthur Croom and Bob Wyatt against Worcestershire at Dudley in 1925.

Trott did what Trott does – got entrenched and well and truly filled his size 11s (or, certain manufacturers, ten-and-a-halves). Woakes, meanwhile, collected his maiden century and played with a freedom to suggest his future lies at number six or seven. The 20-year-old enjoyed some luck, not least when dropped by Imran Tahir at mid-on on 98, but thoroughly deserved it. Far from late-order hitting, this was proper batting. Few better innings have been played by a number nine for Warwickshire.

To reach 484 for seven from 90 for five was a remarkable effort by the Bears though they were assisted yesterday by Hampshire fielding like a rabble. Perhaps they were distracted by the looming Friends Provident Trophy final against Sussex but they were captained bizarrely (the logic of giving Trott singles when Woakes, in his 80s, was hitting merrily to all parts, was particularly tough to grasp), bowled loosely and fielded dreadfully. Never mind Lord’s tomorrow, after that exhibition, they’d be better off nipping down to Lourdes.

Then came the tough bit for the Bears. Carberry likes West Midlands opposition and duly helped himself to his seventh three-figure score against Warwickshire and Worcestershire while Adams eventually batted himself into form.

An opening stand of 261 sounds bad for the bowlers and, right at the start and for too long later on, they struggled. Yet, strangely, briefly after lunch, Woakes and Ant Botha forced a flurry of false shots. Both batsmen inside-edged Woakes narrowly past their stumps for four and Carberry several times sliced the spinner into space.

But Carberry tightened up again and set about advancing briskly towards the 192 he gathered last time the Bears visited the Rose Bowl in the championship. His first 50 contained 38 in boundaries and his 183 has so far contained 110 in them.