County round-up: Warwickshire wobble but Woakes stands firm

Warwickshire found their form so late last season that for a long time they looked a sound bet to be relegated. This term a run for the title cannot be discounted, although the visa problems that prevented Shivnarine Chanderpaul's debut against Sussex are untimely.

They are already without Darren Maddy because of a broken finger and giant paceman Boyd Rankin, who has enjoyed a fine season with the ball, has a thigh strain. But Chanderpaul's unavailability to take up his duties as overseas player opened up a place for Laurie Evans, the former Surrey batsman, who capitalised on a dropped chance in the slips on 11 by building a patient 52.

He and Will Porterfield put on 87 after Warwickshire old boy James Anyon had exploited the morning humidity with two early wickets in a spell of quality swing bowling. But Porterfield, having passed 50 for the fifth time this season, fell on 66, before Jim Troughton and Tim Ambrose were pinned down by Monty Panesar during a 28-over stand that added only 57. Chris Woakes then accelerated the scoring rate after tea to make it just about Warwickshire's day as they finished on 261 for 6.

Nottinghamshire did not see a ball bowled at the Rose Bowl but did announce an official approach to persuade Hampshire's England Twenty20 batsman, Michael Lumb, to move to Trent Bridge.

Kent's poor season in the Championship did not look likely to take an immediate turn for the better when Gloucestershire reduced them to 59 for 6 at Cheltenham but they were rescued by a seventh-wicket stand of 83 by Darren Stevens and James Tredwell before being bowled out for 205. Seamer Will Gidman, brother of skipper Alex, took five wickets in an innings for the first time in his career.