County Championship: Warwickshire draw with Nottinghamshire

Warwickshire made it four Division One draws out of four in the County Championship this season as their game with Nottinghamshire ended in its expected stalemate at Edgbaston.

After resuming on 175-5, in better weather than on the first three days, in reply to Notts’ 400 all out, the Bears still had to get to 251 to avoid the threat of being asked to follow on.

But Jacob Bethell hit a career-best 93 to help the Bears reach 361 before Nottinghamshire went in again and made 75-1 second time around.

It was a grim conclusion to the last home County Championship game at Edgbaston until 23 June – in which England opener Ben Duckett had earlier shone with a double-century and last year’s leading Warwickshire wicket taker Olly Hannon-Dalby claimed his first ‘five-fer’ of the season.

It was Danny Briggs (37) who helped Bethell add 85 in 23 overs to steer their side to the requisite 251.

He skied Calvin Harrison to mid-on where sub fielder Freddie McCann took the catch.

Then Bethell’s classy and composed innings ended seven short of a deserved maiden century when he edged behind to give fit-again returning Bears old boy Olly Stone a first wicket back on his old patch.

Michael Burgess and Bears new signing Aamir Jamal (40) added 71 in 15 overs.

But, after Jamal hammered a return catch to Lyndon James, the Notts man then also took the last two wickets as Hasan Ali chipped into the covers and Burgess picked out mid-off.

When Nottinghamshire went into bat again, Duckett followed his 264-ball 218 by lasting just six balls.

But, after Hannon-Dalby trapped him lbw for his 12th scalp of the season, Notts skipper Haseeb Hameed (41 not out) and Ben Slater (26 not out) saw out the final two hours.

Both sides are without a game next week – but are each scheduled to return to action on Friday, 10 May when the Bears visit The Oval to face Surrey and Notts host Lancashire at Trent Bridge.