Barnard and Woakes lead Warwickshire's fightback at Trent Bridge

Warwickshire all-rounders Ed Barnard and Chris Woakes helped their team recover from a perilous position on day one of their County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Tongue's early wickets swing the session in Nottinghamshire's favour England pace bowler Josh Tongue has 5-91 but Ed Barnard ended the day 134 not out after he and former England stalwart Chris Woakes (64) had shared a seventh-wicket partnership of 116. They enabled Warwickshire to fight back from 179-6 to close on 375-8 against the defending champions. It is Tongue's fourth five-wicket haul in only eight first-class appearances for Nottinghamshire. The visitors looked in a perilous position at 97-4 just after lunch, but thanks to Barnard's resolve and enterprise, Warwickshire can feel well pleased with their day's work, especially having been asked to bat first. ## Tongue's double blow before lunch gives Nottinghamshire the upper hand Tongue's two morning wickets had swung the opening session in Nottinghamshire's favour. After losing Alex Davies, caught at backward point off a leading edge as Brett Hutton struck in the third over of the morning, Dan Mousley's profitable counter-attack quickly seized the initiative as he and Rob Yates added 62 in rapid time before Tongue removed both in consecutive overs. Used sparingly and in short bursts in his season-opener against Glamorgan here two weeks ago, Tongue was allowed off the leash for longer this time and it paid off in the sixth and seventh overs of an eight-over first spell. ## Barnard and Woakes' partnership brings balance to Warwickshire's progress Warwickshire, one of the counties considered potential title contenders this year, suffered another blow two balls after lunch as Tom Hain, no stranger to big scores on this ground, was pinned leg before by Lyndon James, leaving Warwickshire four down for 97. James, a last-day injury substitute for Fergus O'Neil against Glamorgan, had kept his place, the Australian yet to recover from a rib injury. As Nottinghamshire continued to set attacking fields, Barnard and Beau Webster countered aggressively, Barnard pulling James for six before he and the Australian batter took turns to find the boundary. ## Woakes and Barnard's unbroken stand gives Warwickshire hope By tea, though, the picture was beginning to look more balanced as the pooled experience of Barnard and Woakes brought some order to Warwickshire's progress, the pair adding 65 in the 18 overs that remained of a long session, in which ultimately the visitors added 148 for the loss of three wickets. With 15 fours and a six in an innings that had been carefully judged, Barnard completed his first century of the season off 121 balls, Woakes passing fifty for the second time this season following his international retirement. ## Tongue's late wickets deny Woakes a century Woakes, now 37, last made a first-class hundred for Warwickshire 10 years ago - on this ground - but any thoughts of getting close to three figures again here were dashed when Tongue, in his third spell of the day, induced an error that saw him bowled off a bottom edge. Tongue, now with new ball in hand, claimed Jordan Thompson as his fifth wicket via a sharp catch at second slip, pouched by England colleague Ben Duckett.