Edgbaston (final day of three): Bangladesh 252 & 130-8 drew with Warwickshire (361-9 dec)

Darren Maddy may have made centuries against tougher opposition, but his unbeaten ton against Bangladesh A will surely linger in the memory as long as any of them.

Warwickshire’s captain missed the second day of the three-day tour match in order to be present at the birth of his second child – christened Isaac James Maddy – but returned to Edgbaston to register the 25th century of his first-class career.

A very pleasing return it was, too. This was his first innings since sustaining a serious thumb injury and will put him in good stead going into the County Championship Division Two game against Middlesex which starts at Uxbridge on Wednesday.

Coming in at seven, Maddy was grateful for the resistance of Andy Miller. The debutant survived for 50 minutes (and 22 deliveries) in supporting his captain to the milestone.

Warwickshire’s seamers also impressed on the final day. Under the watchful eye of bowling coach, Allan Donald, who was on the pitch as substitute fielder, Lee Daggett in particular produced a heartening performance.

Daggett made a strong case for a championship recall with six wickets in the match, including four for 41 as Warwickshire briefly threatened to pul off an unlikely victory.

In the end, however, too much time had been lost to the weather on the first two days and the tourists clung on for the draw with two wickets in hand.

Tim Groenewald also produced a pleasing all-round performance. He scored 78 runs (91 balls, 14 fours) as well as claiming four wickets.
Miller also showed his promise, recording his maiden three first-class wickets in a frugal performance, while debutant wicketkeeper, Michael Balac, took four catches on Sunday to make up for a disappointing dropped chance on Saturday.

A few other future prospects registered themselves on cricket’s radar.

Bangladeshi teenager Rubel Hossain’s slingy right-arm seamers wrestled some control back from Warwickshire who had earlier benefited from their own solid bowling performance, albeit one helped by some wasteful batting.

Groenewald and Miller made the most of some improved conditions under oot to take two important early wickets before the other members of the Bears’ bowling attack weighed in to reduce their visitors for 252.

They had been 117 for two at the start of play.

Navdeep Poonia (49, 72 balls, eight fours) and an unbeaten 33 from Luke Parker helped put the Bears in the ascendency before Rubel’s trio of wickets took the Bears from 63 without loss to 85 for three.

Michael Powell went first, caught at third slip on the drive, before Jim Troughton edged behind and Poonia was trapped in front.

Apart from Bangladesh’s tiresome habit of appealing for everything, their efforts in the field were commendable.

At times, the vistitors were excellent but at others their talent was horribly let down by a lack of composure and concentration.

Although the average age of the tourists is 19, their key players hardly lack experience. Five have played Test matches and the majority in one-day internationals but the manner in which they got themselves out can be attributed to indiscipline.

Rajin Saleh, a player with 22 Tests under his belt and three half-centuries against Australia, demonstrated this most emphatically when driving Lee Daggett to short cover on 29.

He had looked excellent, like several of the top order, five out of six of whom made more than 25.

Wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh’s superb unbeaten half-century (42 balls, eight fours, one six) did much to glue the latter part of the tourists’ innings together but he quickly ran out of batting partners when Naqqash Tahir put a late gloss on his bowling figures by efficiently wrapping up the tail.

Despite Tahir’s figures suggesting otherwise, it was Daggett and Groenewald who were most impressive.