Cricket: Fleming firing

Warwickshire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .417 and 202-3

Kent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .359

A COOL, blustery wind swept the Birmingham ground yesterday, and in keeping with the conditions much of the cricket was in similar contrast with the first two days. On Thursday the sun shone and the runs flowed, and if Friday was cloudier, Carl Hooper's sparkling 105 not out lit up the evening's play. He hit 72 of his century in boundaries, and his resumption yesterday was awaited with anticipation.

Hooper's first concern, though, was negotiating Kent past their follow-on target of 268. Getting the 42 runs needed occupied the first hour, and having lost his overnight partner, Mark Ealham, early on, caught at square leg off a loose stroke, Hooper was slow to fire. What boundaries there were came mostly from Matthew Fleming whenever the bowlers gave him width outside his off stump, until a brace of fours by Hooper off Neil Smith hinted at a return to Friday's fluency.

Hooper must have been expecting his 14th four before Richard Davis instinctively stuck out his right hand to hold a sharp caught and bowled. He faced 200 balls in all for his 136. Dermot Reeve's introduction of the slow left-armer Davis at this stage had proved shrewd, but his subsequent decision not to call for the new ball when it was available before lunch seemed less shrewd. Gladstone Small emphasised this when he dismissed Fleming and Min Patel in the space of three balls soon after it was taken. Nevertheless Kent did manage to obtain their fourth batting point before Tim Munton wrapped up the innings.

While Fleming's innings lacked his customary panache, his 73 in two hours was the disciplined batting demanded by the situation Kent found themselves in. It was significant that he was distracted by debris blowing across the pitch before he was caught behind fencing down the leg side.

In contrast to Kent's approach in the morning, Dominic Ostler and Roger Twose were quickly into their stride, advancing Warwickshire's first innings lead of 58 with their second century opening partnership of the match. Ostler was the more punishing, hitting 12 fours and pulling an easy six off Alan Igglesden, yet from the reaction of the crowd this promising first-wicket combination is still seen as little more than the warm-up act for the remarkable Brian Lara.

Lara needed a hundred here to continue his run of a century in every Championship game, but it was not to be. Making room to crack Hooper through the covers he was bowled by his fellow West Indian for a mixed 31. Spin accounted for him in the first innings too, Patel claiming him then, and the young Kent left-armer again impressed yesterday with his dismissals of Twose and Ostler.