Ant Botha says that Warwickshire must show some killer instinct in the field if they are to end their long wait for a championship win this season.
As the match against Hampshire at The Rose Bowl yesterday suffered ominous interference from rain, it is likely that it will bring Warwickshire’s seventh draw in eight championship fixtures.
Rain has had a big say in most of those draws but only once this season, against Hampshire in the opening home match, have the Bears built a position from which to seriously push for victory.
In that match, in April, Hampshire were 177 for four on the final afternoon and let off the hook by dropped catches and a rare chance to harvest victory points that, five months down the line, could mean the difference between relegation and survival was lost.
“That was disappointing because we missed an opportunity to win a championship game,” all-rounder Botha said. “Those opportunities are very hard-earned and don’t come along too often.
“At the vital stages of games you really need to buckle down and understand the importance of that session or that day. A win against Hampshire would have been a great launchpad for us and hopefully we have learned from that because we threw away a win there. The team has to learn from those situations.”
Key to Warwickshire earning their first championship win will be a greater display of potency by the bowlers. But on the flat pitches provided this season opposing bowlers, with the exception of Durham and England pair Graham Onions and Steve Harmison, have struggled as much as Warwickshire’s.
“It has been hard going at times,” Botha said. “It has been funny because we have never really been out-bowled by other teams except Durham and that was two exceptional bowling performances from Onions and Harmison.”
