Warwickshire captain Alex Davies became the first player in Division One to surpass 1,000 County Championship runs this season, despite rain and bad light limiting play on the second day of the match against Worcestershire at New Road.
While weather interruptions wiped out much of the day, it gave Davies just enough time to hit 58, pushing him past the 1,000-run mark for only the second time in his career. He last achieved the feat in 2017, when he was Lancashire’s wicketkeeper, marking a significant milestone in his career.
What makes this season’s achievement remarkable is that Davies reached the landmark while captaining the Bears, a role he took on over the winter after succeeding Will Rhodes. His strong early-season performances, particularly his career-best 256 against Durham with the Kookaburra ball, laid the foundation for his success. Half of his 1,024 Championship runs have come in just five innings, including a century and fifty against Somerset last week.
Worcestershire, resuming on 294-8, managed to secure another batting point before being bowled out for 307. Jack Home, making his red-ball debut, hit consecutive boundaries off Chris Rushworth to reach 29 in his first-class innings. However, Rushworth soon had his revenge, trapping Home lbw and then bowling Amar Virdi two balls later.
Warwickshire’s reply began shakily, with Rob Yates falling early to Tom Taylor, caught at mid-on by Virdi. Davies and Rhodes then steadied the innings, guiding their side to lunch at 76-1. However, Rhodes fell to the first ball after lunch, caught behind off former teammate Ethan Brookes, who later dismissed Davies as well.
The Bears then lost a third wicket within 10 overs when Sam Hain was bowled by Logan van Beek, after overbalancing while attempting to work the ball to the leg side. Soon after, bad light halted play, followed by rain, sealing the premature end of the day’s proceedings.
With both teams earning three points, Warwickshire trailed by 195 runs at the close of play, leaving the contest delicately poised.