Really positive start to the season - Barnard
New Bears skipper Ed Barnard is delighted with 16 points from their opening match with former champions Surrey.
New Warwickshire captain Ed Barnard says he's delighted with their start to the new County Championship season. The Bears drew with Surrey at Edgbaston, earning them 16 points to leave them sitting second only behind Essex, who took 22 points in their win away to Hampshire. "It's a really positive start to the season," Barnard told BBC WM.
"If you'd offered me 16 points at the start of the game I'd have taken it. "We played a very high quality side, but I think we matched them and if anything we dominated the game for a lot of it. "A hugely positive boost for us to start the year, and we can look forward to Friday [away to Sussex] now.
" Surrey, three times County champions in the past four years, were restricted to 328 in their first innings before Warwickshire replied with 544. Dan Mousley made 144, and put on 212 for the third wicket with Sam Hain (94), giving the Bears a first innings lead of 216. Surrey then hung on to secure the draw courtesy of a record partnership of 217 between Jamie Smith and Dan Lawrence to bat through the final day and finish 447-4.
Barnard, leading the side in all formats this summer for the first time, admitted he has now got real competition for places. "We had some selection headaches going into the first game. Leaving some of the lads out was a tough decision," he said.