Thursday 19 March 2015 13:45, UK
Chris Woakes responded to his Ashes disappointment with a battling century to rescue Warwickshire against relegation-threatened Derbyshire in the LV= County Championship.
Woakes, who was left out of England's squad for this winter's tour of Australia, scored an unbeaten 102 from 195 balls as Warwickshire recovered from 120-6 to close day one on 285-8 after they were put in.
He was given excellent support by first Jeetan Patel, who made 40, and then Maurice Chambers who stayed with Woakes for 109 minutes in an unbroken stand of 68 for the ninth wicket.
Woakes' former team-mate Tim Groenewald had taken four wickets to give Derbyshire an early boost.
The hosts came into the game knowing only a win would give them a chance of staying in Division One and Mark Footitt gave them a great start by removing both openers in the first five overs.
Footitt, who is interesting Surrey, bowled four no balls in his first over but in his next Ian Westwood edged low to third slip where Alex Hughes held an excellent low catch.
The ball was swinging on a humid, cloudy morning and Footitt found enough movement to pin Varun Chopra lbw for six to reduce Warwickshire to 18-2 and the visitors would have been in deeper trouble but for two dropped catches by wicketkeeper Tom Poynton.
He spilled a straightforward chance when Ateeq Javid edged Footitt on six and put down a harder chance diving to his right off Tony Palladino when the same batsman had scored 13.
Derbyshire claimed a first bowling point when Laurie Evans was lbw for 11 on the move to Groenewald and the home side struck gold after lunch as Warwickshire slumped to 148-7.
Former Derbyshire skipper Rikki Clarke edged the second ball after the interval from Palladino to third slip and then Groenewald had Javid caught behind down the leg-side for 46 from 119 balls.
Stuart Poynter, who has signed for one game because of Warwickshire's wicketkeeping crisis, drove his fourth ball back to Groenewald who had Keith Barker caught behind for 14 to put the home side on top.
But Woakes, who played a match-winning innings against Surrey last week, again delivered and with Patel added 69 in 17 overs before the New Zealand off-spinner skied Hughes to deep mid-off.
Footitt dropped a simple return catch to reprieve Woakes on 83 and he made the most of that escape to complete his seventh first-class hundred as he and Chambers dug in for 29 overs to frustrate Derbyshire.
