Surrey pacemen on top against faltering Bears in Birmingham

REIGNING county champions Surrey had the better of a rain-hit day against 2021 winners Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

After winning the toss, Surrey skipper Rory Burns inserted the Bears and was

Surrey chose to bowl on such a cloudy morning and Roach had already had near misses when he bagged his first wicket, Rob Yates, a centurion in both the Bears' previous two home Championship games, with only his eighth out in his two previous innings this season.

Ed Barnard came in to help Mousley put on 45 for the fifth wicket. But Worrall again made use of Ollie Pope at second slip to remove Barnard and, in the next over, 34-year-old Roach dived low to take an excellent return catch off Michael Burgess for a sixth-ball duck.

Chris Woakes, having his first bat since England's third Test against the West Indies in Grenada in March 2022, helped Mousley add a further 48, either side of an hourlong rain break.

West Indies pacer Kemar Roach took his season’s wicket haul to nine in three matches rewarded with five wickets from his two overseas pacemen.

West Indian Kemar Roach took 3-31, while Australian Dan Worrall weighed in with 2-33 after both had looked good in an impressive new-ball morning burst.

Dan Mousley hit an unbeaten 55 as the Bears struggled to 143-8 off 51 overs. It was no surprise that delivery.

Yates went caught at second slip, as was Bears skipper Will Rhodes, off Worrall. And, when Alex Davies top edged an attempted hook off Roach, England keeper Ben Foakes took the catch to leave the hosts 23-3.

Tom Lawes then got the big wicket of Sam Hain for 10, to end the England hopeful's run of tons, after scoring 119 and 165 not the batters getting individual fifties in quick time.

Imam was eventually trapped by the wrist spin of Sodhi for 60, but New Zealand had stepped out of the frying pan and into the fireBabar Azam had walked out to the middle after a 124-run opening stand, and stroked the bowlers with utmost ease all around the park.

Babar nicked behind for a fluent 49, falling just short of a well-deserved fifty, but Pakistan were well on their way, with Zaman continuing to milk the bowlers with ease. Shan Masood was the only one who had a laborious stay at the crease, before falling to Adam Milne, bringing in Mohammad Rizwan to the crease, who looked like he was in a hurry. Rizwan targeted the spin of Rachin Ravindra to get a move on, and looked positive, before a brief period of panic at the other end...

Zaman had fallen for 117 to Rachin Ravindra, and

Agha Salman fell soon after, bringing in Mohammad Nawaz. However, Rizwan remained positive and steady at the other end, ensuring victory by sweeping Rachin Ravindra for the winning boundary to deep midwicket. The facile win ensured Pakistan went 1-0 up the five-match ODI series, the second of which will be played at the same venue, Rawalpindi, on Saturday (April 29). (Cricbuzz)