Richardson's shooters fire up Warwickshire

Alan Richardson returned career-best figures of 8 for 46 and single-handedly secured victory for Warwickshire with a wonderful display of seam bowling that demonstrated how sorely he was missed for four games through injury.

In his absence, Shaun Pollock had to shoulder the responsibility of the wicket-taking and workload, but with Pollock unable to bowl yesterday with a sore hip, Richardson charged in from the Pavilion End for three spells.

The first was the most challenging, as Richard Montgomerie and Tony Cottey were at the time assiduously laying the foundations of a 105- run partnership and hope that Sussex could salvage a draw. The second came straight after lunch and broke the back of any resistance as he had both Montgomerie and Cottey lbw; and the third wrapped proceedings up neatly before tea with three wickets in 22 balls. He was helped by the vagaries of the Edgbaston pitch, but it was his unerring accuracy that took the wickets.

From the very start he put the ball in the "right area". What exactly is this? Of course, it differs depending on the bowler, but for Richardson, and indeed most seamers, it is a couple of yards from the batsman and just outside off-stump. A ball delivered there poses two questions to the batter. Do I play forward or back? And do I play a stroke or leave it?

Richardson asked these questions at least five times an over, so when the pitch aided him with a shooter, he deserved it. Alas poor old Cottey will not see it like that. He had joined Montgomerie early in the morning session and grafted hard against Richardson before profiting from some fairly bland off–spin from Mark Wagh.

He was enjoying the gaps that an attacking field of five slips and a short leg leaves and no doubt planning a big hundred. Instead the ball kept low, hit him a few inches up the pad and right in front of the stumps. Exaggerated sideways movement frustrates batsmen, but shooters and lifters exasperate them, as often there is nothing they can do to combat them.

Montgomerie followed soon after to a good ball that jagged back. From then on it was only a question of time.

If Warwickshire are going to continue to post big totals, and with Nick Knight in such excellent form there is every chance, then they are going to have to pick a proper spinner. Neil Smith was not selected for this match, but if he had been twirling away in tandem with Richardson, the match would have been won a lot sooner.

There is still the whiff of intrigue and politicking around Edgbaston that, if they allow it to, could derail their season. Every day of sunshine and dryness around the country increases the probability that spinners will decide matches, and with Ashley Giles away for another three Test matches, Smith could be the pivotal factor in Warwickshire's final position.