Warwickshire v Durham: Chopra and Trott help Bears finish second
Last updated on .From the section Counties
| LV= County Championship Division One, Edgbaston |
| Close, day two: Durham 201, Warwickshire 413-8 |
| Warwickshire 8 pts, Durham 3 pts |
| Match scorecard |
Warwickshire captain Varun Chopra made only his second County Championship century of the summer to help the Bears seal second place in Division One.
The Bears began their rematch with Saturday's One-Day Cup final conquerors Durham needing 10 points to be sure of finishing runners-up to Yorkshire.
But a maximum eight bonus points, allied to Sussex's failure to get more than three batting points, did the job.
Chopra scored 160 and Jonathan Trott hit 104 as the Bears made 413-8.
| Chops chips in with runs again |
|---|
| Varun Chopra had not made a first-class century this summer until the Bears travelled to Taunton last month - but he has now made two in four Championship matches, taking his season's first-class run haul to 900 in the process. |
| But he made 471 runs in the One-Day Cup at an average of 67.28, as well as 525 runs in the T20 Blast. |
Resuming on 77-1, the Bears batted all day, affected more by the weather than they were by anything that the new one-day champions could throw at them in four-day combat.
While Trott reached three figures for the third time since truly launching his cricketing comeback in mid-summer, it was only Chopra's second Championship ton of the season - and the fact that he spent 45 minutes in the supposedly 'nervous nineties' showed just how much it mattered to him.
Durham paceman Chris Rushworth took 15 wickets in 20 overs inside two sessions for Durham against relegated Northants last week.
He then found out the gulf between the top and bottom of the division at Edgbaston as it took him until the 15th over to get his first wicket against Warwickshire.
But, although Chopra and Trott's 191-run third wicket stand dominated the day, Rushworth battled on to finish with figures of 5-94.
BBC WM's Mike Taylor:
"Warwickshire's achievement, in finishing in the top two in all three competitions, represents a fine body of work, especially in the second half of the season.
"It is fitting that they completed that task with a day of classy batting. Varun Chopra and Jonathan Trott compiled their runs with such poise and composure that it was easy to overlook how quickly they were scoring, 160 coming in an extended middle session.
"How heartening - and not just for Warwickshire supporters - to see Trott finishing his recovery season with his old Swiss-watch timing back, while Chopra's innings seals a year of personal achievement as a leader. He must relish the future as the official, no longer acting, captain of a strong squad."
Radio Newcastle's Martin Emmerson:
"It was a desperately long day in the field for Durham, particularly when their bowlers struggled to make inroads in a period after lunch which saw Varun Chopra and Jonathan Trott dominate with the bat,
"That 191-run stand alone has probably put this game beyond the visitors, a draw being the best they can now realistically hope for.
"There was brief joy though for Chris Rushworth late on as he took his 60th wicket of the season on his way to this third five-for in a week."
