WORCESTERSHIRE concentrated their efforts on ensuring they avoided a points deduction for a slow over-rate rather than trying to force an unlikely victory as their rain-hit LV County Championship clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston ended in a draw.

The County began a shortened final day four overs behind the rate which would have cost them two points.

And, when Warwickshire began their second innings 56 runs adrift, it was the spin duo of Gareth Batty and Vikram Solanki who took the new ball in front of a couple of hundred spectators rather than Kabir Ali and Doug Bollinger.

Batty and Solanki rattled through nine overs in only 20 minutes of unedifying cricket to bring Worcestershire up with the rate against the home side's openers Ian Westwood and Kumar Sangakkara.

By lunch 18 overs had been bowled in 45 minutes after overnight rain meant play had got under way an hour and a quarter late.

Given the fact heavy rain set in during the interval to force an early finish, Solanki could claim that his decision to sacrifice slim hopes of Worcestershire achieving their first win of the campaign was justified. But it exposed the flaws in the current rules regarding over rates whereby a side can make up deficiencies in that department by employing such tactics.

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes defended his side's tactics as they collected 11 points to Warwickshire's 10.

He said: "The forecast influenced the fact we started with two spinners. It wasn't ideal tactics for people coming to watch - their openers against our opening bowlers.

"But getting the over-rate up was crucial to us because we were down two points and it was our priority.

"However, we didn't do it just for the sake of the over-rate. Openers don't like facing spin on the fourth day."