Surrey's poor run continues at Edgbaston

Surrey's difficult start to the season continued as half-centuries from Jim Troughton, Jonathan Trott and Brad Hogg gave Warwickshire the initiative on the opening day of their Frizzell Country Championship First Division match at Edgbaston yesterday.

Warwickshire batted sensibly and built a position of strength against varied bowling before closing on 358 for 6.

Trott, an English-qualified South African, made an impressive start. His aggressive 61 included 13 fours and dominated a fourth wicket stand of 119 in 33 overs with Troughton.

Rain severely disrupted Warwickshire's first two Championship games but it was still Trott's third fifty in as many innings. Troughton's score was only his third half-century in 15 Championship innings and his highest score since a century against Kent almost a year ago.

Surrey made Troughton graft early on but he prospered when the seamers Martin Bicknell and James Ormond gave him width after lunch.

Troughton launched Ian Salisbury for one straight six but perished when he skipped down the pitch to the leg-spinner and was stumped for 77.

Dougie Brown and Hogg increased Surrey's frustration with a sixth-wicket stand of 64, with Hogg completing his second Championship half-century from just 48 balls.

Earlier, Mark Wagh had prodded to second slip and Nick Knight had nibbled at Saqlain Mushtaq after he had appeared to have rediscovered some form. Ian Bell also played well until he sold his wicket cheaply with a chip to mid-wicket.

In the Second Division, Matthew Elliott struck a sparkling century to help Glamorgan reach 346 for 8 on the first day of the match against Essex at Sophia Gardens. But on his Essex debut, Darren Gough took until his 17th over and the last half an hour to claim his first wicket.

Hampshire proved there is life after their captain Shane Warne, who has joined his Australian team-mates on tour in Zimbabwe, with a spirited display on day one of their match against Yorkshire at Headingley.

Hants battled back from 115 for 5 to make 322. Yorkshire lost Craig White to the final ball of the day, caught at second slip off Chris Tremlett, in reducing the deficit by 40.