LONDON, CMC – Shivnarine Chanderpaul helped Warwickshire pile up a huge first innings total, but the title hopefuls’ progress was slowed down, when weather interrupted their key English County Championship Division 1 match against Hampshire yesterday.
The veteran West Indies batsman took his score to 171, as Warwickshire, the Division 1 leaders, three points ahead of Lancashire heading into the final round of games, reached 493 in their first innings on the second day at the Rose Bowl.
An afternoon rain delay swiped 13 overs from the day, and Hampshire, who could yet avoid relegation after Worcestershire dramatically failed to reach 300 in their first innings at Durham, reached 57 without loss at stumps.
Chanderpaul continued merrily, as he helped Warwickshire to fortify their position, seeking their first title in five years.
The obdurate left-hander reached 150, when he cut Sean Ervine to the point boundary in an over containing three fours.
Warwickshire reached lunch on 390 for six, only to see heavy rain delay the start of the afternoon session by nearly 1 ½ hours.
When play resumed, Chanderpaul swept Liam Dawson for four to bring up a half-century stand for the seventh wicket with Chris Woakes before he fell to the left-arm spinner.
Chanderpaul essayed one pull too many, missed an innocuous short ball, and was adjudged lbw. He struck 23 fours and three sixes from 295 balls in just over 6 ¾ hours.
In another match, fellow West Indies left-hander Darren Bravo was unbeaten 17, as Nottinghamshire made a steady start in reply to Sussex’s imposing first innings total of 488 at Trent Bridge.
Bravo and fellow leftie Karl Turner found the going tough against discarded England left-arm spinner Monty Panesar, but survived through to the close.
