Warwickshire Bowlers Restrict Hampshire to 298 on Opening Day

Warwickshire's bowlers put in a commendable performance on the opening day of their Vitality County Championship match against Hampshire at Edgbaston, restricting the visitors to 298 all out. Despite Hampshire's strong batting lineup, only Fletcha Middleton (74) managed to surpass 50 runs.

Olly Hannon-Dalby led the Warwickshire attack with an impressive 3-35, including his 350th first-class wicket. Ed Barnard and Craig Miles also contributed with three wickets each. Hampshire's innings was characterized by a solid start but a collapse in the afternoon session.

Middleton and Nick Gubbins put on a 102-run partnership, but Barnard's aggressive spell after lunch broke the partnership. Gubbins was caught at first slip, while Middleton was dismissed by a low delivery that uprooted his off-stump.

James Vince's dismissal to Hannon-Dalby further weakened Hampshire's position. Ben Brown and Liam Dawson steadied the innings with a 61-run stand, but Miles struck twice in quick succession to remove both batsmen.

Keith Barker and Felix Organ provided some resistance, but Barnard and Miles continued to chip away at the Hampshire batting order. Warwickshire's bowlers persisted despite the hot conditions, with Hannon-Dalby claiming his third wicket when Dawson played on.

Warwickshire's reply began cautiously, with Will Rhodes and Alex Davies scoring streaky boundaries off Keith Barker. However, Kyle Abbott struck twice in the final over to remove both openers, leaving Warwickshire trailing by 247 runs.

Tags: #VitalityCountyChampionship, #Warwickshire, #Hampshire, #OllyHannonDalby, #FletchaMiddleton