Clark vs Barnard in Oval showdown

Warwickshire 318 for 8 (Barnard 96*, Clark 4-50) vs Surrey

Clark showed some promise as a red-ball cricketer in his Lancashire days: he dismissed Joe Root, Kane Williamson and Jonny Bairstow as part of a Roses hat-trick in 2018, which proved to be his final season at the club. But when he arrived at Surrey, the defending champions, it was hard to see how he would become a regular feature in their Championship side.

He has done that and more, playing a pivotal role in their recent success. His batting and bowling averages for the club are near-identical (28.20 and 28.23 respectively) and he has thrived as a first-change bowler in a four or five-man seam attack. Last week, he struck 106 not out off 102 balls in Surrey’s convincing victory over Hampshire.

Clark burst this game open for Surrey after Warwickshire’s bright start, racing to 50 for 0 in 10 overs after being asked to bat first. He struck in his second over, going wide on the crease and nipping one back past Alex Davies’ leave to uproot his off stump; when Sean Abbott trapped Rob Yates lbw in his next over, Warwickshire had lost both openers inside three balls.

Sam Hain made his return to the Warwickshire side after missing the start of the season for personal reasons, and started brightly after twin hundreds for the seconds last week. But he was incorrectly given out caught behind on the stroke of lunch to Kemar Roach, who then had Jacob Bethell caught at second slip – after Dom Sibley parried the initial chance at first – after lunch.

And Clark struck regularly through the day, as if to prove his worth: he trapped Dan Mousley on the knee roll, had Will Rhodes well caught at slip by Sibley, and induced a chop-on from Michael Burgess with the old ball which left his leg stump on the ground. That left Warwickshire 222 for 7, and in danger of missing out on a single batting bonus point.

But by the close, Barnard had guided them to 318 for 8, scoring heavily through cover-point. He added 50 for the eighth wicket with Aamer Jamal and an unbroken 41 with No. 10 Craig Miles, and should complete his sixth first-class hundred – and first since leaving Worcestershire – on Saturday morning, as Warwickshire target a third batting point.

Rhodes was Warwickshire’s captain at the time they brought Barnard in, and recalls a queue of counties attempting to sign him. “That sort of cricketer comes few and far between and to have him here is fantastic,” he said. “It’s a massive help for the team if he can score these runs at No. 6 and then contribute with the ball.

“With Tim Bresnan moving on, we were looking for that No. 6 or 7 who could bowl a lot of overs, and he’s probably one of the best in the country in the role. When he cropped up and said that he was looking to leave Worcester, we jumped at the chance to get him. He’s been an outstanding signing.”

Warwickshire have been involved in four draws out of four at the start of this season but this match looks likely to have a result. Their 318 for 8 is already the second-highest score that Surrey have conceded this year – behind Somerset’s 351 all out – and they have an opportunity to stamp their mark on this game on Saturday.

Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98