Edgbaston (final day of four): Northamptonshire (407-8 dec., 10pts) drew with Warwickshire (353-4, 10pts)

On the face of it, there wasn’t a great deal at stake on the final day of Warwickshire’s championship match against Northamptonshire at Edgbaston.

With rain having washed out a huge chunk of the match, including the entire third day on Saturday, it was all about the peculiar and prosaic business of bonus points. The fact that only six non-members paid to attend says much about how attractive that is.

Yet, come September, this could prove to have been a vital step on the road to promotion. Warwickshire secured four batting bonus points, did not allow Northants another bowling point, and adapted to the imperfect conditions in the most positive manner possible.

Most impressively, Jim Troughton (243 balls, 17 fours, one six and a seven courtesy of overthrows) completed his first century since last June and the 14th of his career. Driving particularly fluently, Troughton mixed solid defence and pleasing strokeplay in a manner which he has rarely managed and underlined the impression that his is a career that could yet have its best years in front of it.

It was fitting that he should add 149 with Jonathan Trott. These two have emerged as the backbone of the side this season; senior pros who are finally fulfilling their potential and developing into the pillars of the new-look Warwickshire.

Trott (173 balls, eight fours and a six) was as efficient as ever off his legs, appeared utterly impregnable in defence and was unrecognisable from the hesitant, shuffling mess of last year. The stand was a record for the fourth record for Warwickshire against Northants at Edgbaston, surpassing two great names from the club’s past, Frank Foster and Billy Quaife, who posted 123 in the championship year of 1911.

“They’ve taken on the mantle of senior players, haven’t they?” Ashley Giles, Warwickshire’s director of cricket, said afterwards. “I’ve been quite hard with both of them, but they’ve worked hard and flourished.

“They’ve flourished through the extra responsibility they’ve been given. So has Ian Westwood and Chris Woakes. Yes, we do need to strengthen but let’s remember that these guys might not have had so much opportunity this season if we had brought in a whole load of Kolpak players. We do have to be careful to maintain that balance.

“We all know that ‘Trotty’ is a bloody good player but I’ve felt that both of them could be better. They haven’t delivered in their careers as I think they can. ‘Trouts’ has been under-clubbing a bit and we’re still to see the best of him. But we did his appraisal yesterday and he said he thought the three-figure score was just round the corner. He’s done very well.”

There was, briefly, a chance that Northants could apply some pressure on Warwickshire. Perhaps, had Troughton been held at second slip in the day’s first over, Warwickshire might have struggled to avoid the follow-on. He had scored only 15 at the time and, driving extravagantly at David Lucas, was badly missed by Rob White.

That moment apart, however, Warwickshire progressed smoothly. Both batsmen skipped down the pitch to deposit the off-spin of Jason Brown for straight sixes and it was some surprise when the extra bounce of the new ball finally did for Trott, prodding at one he should have left.

Tony Frost was in typically pleasing form, however, and helped Troughton accelerate to the fourth bonus point. Against an impressive spell of fast bowling by Johan van der Wath and some testing spin bowling by Brown and Nicky Boje, it was a fine display from Warwickshire.

Frost now averages 86.66 for this championship season.

Giles is not content, however. While proud of his side’s unbeaten record - they have long been the only unbeaten side in the four-day county game - he knows that more victories are required if promotion is to become a reality.

“It’s time to step forward,” he said, “rather than just hold our ground. I want us to play a bit more positively. I want to see some fresh, attacking cricket and for us to go after a win.”

Boyd Rankin comes into the 12 ahead of the championship match against Essex, starting on Tuesday at Edgbaston, and “could well” make his debut, according to Giles.

The towering Rankin has yet to play even a second XI match for Warwickshire but such is his promise that he could displace Neil Carter or the weary Woakes for this match. Tim Ambrose is unavailable, having broken a finger on England duty.

Warwickshire are likely to produce a more lively pitch for the match. It is 12 months since a championship match at Edgbaston ended in anything but a draw (Surrey’s victory last September), and 17 months since Warwickshire last won here (against Sussex in April 2007).

While that is partially due to the wearingly benign nature of the pitches and says something on the potency of the Warwickshire attack, it also reflects on a side that is becoming harder to beat.

Giles anticipates no further departures from Edgbaston this season. All out-of-contract players will be offered new deals and all are expected to sign. “I’m glad we’ve got the contract business out of the way early,” Giles said. “Now we can just concentrate on our cricket without anyone worrying too much.”

Additions are still required, however. Chris Tremlett, the towering England fast bowler, who is believed to be unsettled at Hampshire, is one player who is sure to be of interest to Warwickshire should he become available.

* The championship match against Essex will begin at 10.45 each morning in order to allow the visitors to leave promptly on the final day before their appearance in the Friends Provident final at Lord’s on Saturday.