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Dom Sibley ton frustrates Gloucestershire on day one in Bristol

20 September 2022

A century from Dom Sibley has provided relegation-threatened Warwickshire with a timely boost on the opening day of the LV=Insurance Championship First Division battle with Gloucestershire at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

Under considerable duress at 138-6 midway through the afternoon session, the Midlands county was indebted to its former England opener, who scored a composed 105 not out and staged a restorative seventh wicket stand of 108 with Danny Briggs, who made a season's best 65, to help Warwickshire reach the close on 255-8.

As well as Zafar Gohar bowled in claiming 4-59 from a marathon 32 overs to put Warwickshire under the pump before both Sibley and Briggs profited from dropped catches early on in their innings.

Containing a modest count of 10 boundaries, Sibley's supremely functional innings, his 18th first-class hundred, was hardly illuminated by an extravagant shot. Neither will it linger long in the memories of those who witnessed it. Yet it was exactly what was required by a Warwickshire side fighting to retain its First Division status at the wrong end of the table.

Crowned champions a year ago, Warwickshire have since suffered an ignominious fall from grace, winning just once in the Championship in 2022. That lone success, achieved at the expense of Essex at Edgbaston in mid-April, now seems a very long time ago indeed. Given that their final game of the season is against title-chasing Hampshire, the Bears came into their penultimate fixture under considerable pressure to save themselves against bottom-of-the-table Gloucestershire.

Will Rhodes won the toss and opted to bat, only for events to take an unexpected turn on an apparently docile Bristol track. Rob Yates went off like a train, scoring almost exclusively in boundaries as he raced to 19 from 16 balls, before chancing his arm once too often and nicking to Jack Taylor at first slip off Ajeet Singh Dale in the fourth over with the score on 21. Alex Davies then played down the wrong line to a David Payne in-swinger and saw his off stump knocked back as the defending champions slipped to 24-2 in the sixth over.

Yet rather than impose themselves fully, Gloucestershire quite literally allowed a gilt-edged opportunity to slip between their fingers. Deputising for Ben Charlesworth, substitute fielder Dom Goodman put down a chance at point to allow Sibley a life on 14, much to the chagrin of change bowler Tom Price, who generated additional lift from the Ashley Down Road End.

Despite battling hard for a 74-ball 10, the usually dependable Ben Hain was unable to keep Sibley company until the interval, the former Australia Under-19 international succumbing to Zafar's slow left arm and offering a looping catch to Charlesworth at short square leg via an inside edge as the visitors further subsided to 64-3 in the 27th over.

Under pressure to rebuild the innings, Sibley and Rhodes came closest to staging a meaningful top-order partnership in the early-afternoon sunshine, the fourth wicket pair adding a cautious 45 in 13.3 overs. Seldom troubled, Sibley inched his way a carefully crafted 50 from 114 balls to at least afford the visitors an underlying sense of reassurance. Yet it proved short-lived, Gloucestershire's brothers in arms joining forces to account for Rhodes, who nicked to Olly Price at second slip off the bowling of elder sibling Tom for 24. 

Returning at the Bristol Pavilion end, Zafar then made further in-roads, Gloucestershire's leading wicket taker removing Jayant Yadav and Jacob Bethel in successive overs to reduce the visitors to 162-6. Playing back, Jayant was bowled in his crease for 17, while Bethel was well held by Charlesworth at short square leg for two, at which stage Warwickshire's quest for batting bonus points was heavily dependent upon Sibley.

He at least found a willing ally in Danny Briggs, who effectively shored up one end while the opener continued to accumulate in measured fashion, these two ushering the Bears to 164-6 at tea.

Briggs enjoyed a large slice of fortune shortly after the resumption when, having advanced his score to 19, Dale located his outside edge and Jack Taylor fumbled low down at first slip. Gloucestershire were duly punished, Briggs cutting and driving his way to a swashbuckling 50 from 86 balls to propel Warwickshire to a first bonus point, crucially one more than that achieved by fellow strugglers Kent at home to Hampshire.

The new ball was taken with the score on 219-6, yet Gloucestershire still lacked the cutting edge needed to make a breakthrough, a by now familiar shortcoming in a red-ball campaign which has seen them fail to register a single win in 12 attempts.

Held at slip late on in proceedings, Briggs was finally undone by a ball from Zafar that turned, terminating an enterprising innings that spanned 110 balls and included 12 boundaries. Manifestly uncomplicated in his approach and largely untroubled by the best the opposition had to offer, the disciplined Sibley carried on regardless, clipping Zafar through mid-wicket for two to bring up three figures via 237 balls shortly before the close.

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