In fantastic May weather Warwick were able to dispel the blues of the Monmouth defeat with a morale-boosting demolition of Loughborough Grammar School: an enjoyable canape before the main course of Monday’s cup match.

After winning the toss LGS, unsurprisingly, elected to bat first, but were instantly made to regret their decision. With the very first ball of the innings Wye was right on the money. The ball was slightly backward of a length and it rose wickedly from the pitch. It was all that the batsman could do to fend it to Gupta in the slips who took a sharp chance, the unfortunate opener departing for a diamond duck. From there LGS had a rebuilding job to do and the left-handed opener, Martin, and the number three, Crouch, set about this as best they could in the face of an exuberant pair of bowlers and a supportive field. Budd was the more accurate of our pacemen, conceding just six runs from his excellent four-over burst. Wye was less consistent, but also less fortunate, having both batsmen put down off his bowling as he completed figures of 4-0-23-1. Evans struggled to find his line and length, conceding 14 from his two overs, but after a loose first over from Page, he and Dunlop thereafter tightened up considerably. At 47-1 after ten overs the opposition could feel that they had recovered reasonably well from their early loss, but they did not look like getting away against our spinners. Just 22 more runs came from the next five overs, but there was still no wicket, leaving the innings potentially poised for an acceleration in the second half, the score sitting at 69-1 after 15.

As is so common, the drinks break brought a wicket. Page induced the left-hander to try and turn the ball around the corner, but it gripped a little more than expected, the leading edge popping up comfortably for the return catch. The very next ball he had another, clean bowled as a loose stroke found nothing but air. Crouch was still there, however, and batting well, but Page and Dunlop now turned the screw still further, just five runs came from the next three overs and eventually the pressure told. Crouch decided to try and manufacture something off Dunlop, but the off spinner was far too accurate and wily. As Crouch went down on one knee to try and ramp the ball over his shoulder, the ball turned past his flailing bat and clattered into leg stump. Dunlop was withdrawn after this over, his fourth, and this was a thoroughly deserved wicket having conceded just ten runs from his tight spell. Page was not done yet, however, and continued the collapse in the next over. After a couple of close call Downes, who kept tidily, finally managed to catch the batsman short of his ground after Page had tempted him to drag his foot too far forwards. This allowed Page to finish with figures of 6-0-23-3, having ripped the heart out of the LGS top order. The attempt by LGS to inject some life into their innings only resulted in a suicidal run out, with Newell and Downes combining and LGS had slumped from 69-1 after 15, to 81-6 after 21. There was a brief rally as Loughborough put on 20 for the seventh wicket, but Gupta (3.3-1-9-2) and Davis (3-0-14-2) were able to finish off the tail. There was some fortune in the 7th wicket as a Davis drag down was slapped to Evans, who made no mistake at deep mid-wicket, but Davis’ second was just good bowling, with the number five being castled after playing all around one. Gupta bowled the numbers nine and ten to conclude LGS’s innings with the score on just 102.

LGS needed early wickets if they were to have any chance. They opened the bowling with Spicer, who bowled with pace and accuracy, but they struggled to find him a partner. Whilst his opening three over burst went for just eight runs, 42 were conceded at the other end by three different bowlers, each tried for an over and then withdrawn. Gupta and Dunning both looked fluent and largely untroubled, punishing anything short with cross-batted strokes square of the wicket, and leaning into anything over-pitched: a couple of Dunning off drives being a particular highlight. We brought up our fifty in the sixth over and appeared to be cruising. It was a surprise when Spicer was removed from the attack in favour of an off spinner (the third spinner LGS had turned to), but it led to LGS taking their sole wicket. Having reached 21 at considerably better than a run-a-ball Gupta went to sweep a leg stump ball around the corner but missed. The ball cannoned into his front pad, and he was adjudged LBW by the umpire. Thomas (13) now came to the middle and ably played the supporting role as Dunning progressed towards fifty. He was able to complete our first half century of the season just before we crossed the winning post, ending with 54* off 45 deliveries. We had reached our target from the first ball of the 14th over having never looked in any danger of falling short: a fine victory to start our regular season.

Man-of-the-match: Page for taking three crucial top & middle order wickets in a tight spell.

Champagne moment: Wye taking a wicket with the very first ball of the game.