Bell's quality not enough to catch Glamorgan

Glamorgan 300-8 Warwickshire 238 Glamorgan won by 62 runs

The decision to field first back-fired embarrassingly on the Warwickshire captain, Michael Powell, who saw Glamorgan pile up a mammoth 300 for 8 in their 45 overs before watching his own top order wilt in the heat and lose by 62 runs in the Norwich Union First Division yesterday.

Warwickshire lost their first four batsmen for a modest 45 runs and Ian Bell's excellent 86 notwithstanding, an excellent performance was required were the Midlanders to revitalise their recently faltering title challenge.

The biggest blow for the home side was the early demise of Nick Knight, so often Warwickshire's trump card, who top-edged to short square leg in only the fourth over off Alex Wharf, who opened with a destructive spell, also accounting for Neil Carter and Mark Wagh

It was left to the youthful combination of Bell and Jamie Troughton to give Warwickshire hope of an unlikely success, 20-year-old Bell and his 23-year-old team-mate batting superbly in a partnership that added 104 runs in 19 overs, ending when Troughton became the first of four Robert Croft victims.

When Bell was out leg before to Darren Thomas, having struck 10 fours and a six off 77 balls, Warwickshire still needed 93 with only three wickets standing, which Glamorgan claimed with over five overs to spare.

Their disciplined, imaginative bowling rewarded some bold, aggressive batting which featured half-centuries from Matthew Maynard, Adrian Dale and Ian Thomas, the latter scoring a 65-ball 72, including a six and 11 fours.