Moore Warms to Batting Task

Another member of England's 2005 Ashes-winning vintage began another comeback yesterday and, if the attention bestowed upon Simon Jones was not quite of the order of that shown to Andrew Flintoff, it was nevertheless still a significant moment.

Jones needed only six balls to snaffle his first wicket, removing the Indian Cricket League rebel and Warwickshire captain, Darren Maddy, caught at the wicket. It was an appreciably quicker ball and generally Jones looked in better order than a fortnight ago when Warwickshire met Worcestershire in a friendly at New Road.

Then, being an English spring and also being Worcester, which was under water for much of last summer, Jones bowled only gingerly. Yesterday, on the limited evidence available, he looked worthy of Worcestershire's gamble to offer him a contract after Glamorgan called it a day. Few will believe, however, that Jones truly has an England future.

Worcester's late burst of wickets gave them an encouraging day after they had reached 249 almost entirely due to the sterling contribution of Stephen Moore, who batted through the innings for 109 from 253 balls. One did not need to be among the most redoubtable statisticians to discover the last Worcestershire player to carry his bat - Daryl Mitchell - did it in the last Championship match of 2007.

Many starts to a season feel like the coldest on record - but this one might be. It was 3C when the players came out for practice and 5C when the match began. The Edgbaston electronic scoreboard, comfortably the worst in the country, then malfunctioned - either with excitement or permafrost.

But the day and the cricket gradually warmed up. Warwickshire's team spirit was lacking under Mark Greatbatch last season but Ashley Giles is now in charge, to popular approval. He has made restoration of team spirit and communication a priority, and Ian Bell feels he is on the right lines. "We've gone back to a real kind of Warwickshire - guys who have the club at heart," he said.

For an immediate victory to lift the spirits and suggest Warwickshire can quickly recover their First Division status, somebody will have to bat well today.