Watch: Hasan Ali took the final wicket with just six overs remaining on the last day of Warwickshire’s clash against Kent in the second round of fixtures in the 2023 season of the County Championship to help secure a thrilling victory for the hosts.

Having scored a mammoth 453-4 in the first innings on the back of hundreds from Rob Yates and Sam Hain, Warwickshire were always ahead in the game. They had bowled out the visitors for just 158 in less than 50 overs in the first innings with Hasan Ali being the pick of the bowlers, taking 3-36 from his 9.1 overs.

With no play being possible on Day 2 due to rain, Warwickshire had no choice but to enforce the follow-on on Kent to push for a result. They began the final day at 27-1, needing to survive the entire day to salvage a draw. Things did not start well for them as they lost four wickets in the first 12 overs, plummeting to 51-5 and then to 99-7.

Just when the writing seemed to be on the wall, opener Ben Compton and No.9 batter Joey Evison put up a rearguard action and added 100 for the eighth wicket in quick time. Following Compton’s dismissal on 199, Evison stitched another frustrating partnership for the hosts with Conor McKerr, taking the total to 273-8 with just around seven overs left in the day’s play.

With time running out and light fading, Oliver Hannon-Dalby got McKerr to edge one to fourth slip. Hasan Ali followed it up with a vicious outswinger in the next over, tempting Evison for the big cover drive and inducing a thin edge behind to the wicketkeeper to end a superb innings just short of a hundred and take his team to their first victory of the season.

Hasan finished with 2-51 in the second innings with match figures of 5-87. After the final wicket of Evison, he took off in a wild run across the ground in celebration of the wicket and the victory.

Watch Hasan Ali take the final wicket to secure Warwickshire’s first win of the season and charge off in celebration:

 

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