Bears history: 2016 One Day Cup glory

Ahead of the 2026 Metro Bank One Day Cup, we’re revisiting the last time Warwickshire County Cricket Club triumphed in the competition.

2026-07-20T09:40+01:00

In 2016, the team led by Club legend Ian Bell would do just that, with several standout performances from a team combining youth and experience…

Bears squad

The Bears had an outstanding squad as they looked to challenge for silverware, with the likes of Bell supported by an all-star cast that included Jonathan Trott, William Porterfield, Tim Ambrose, Rikki Clarke, Ateeq Javid, Chris Wright and Jeetan Patel.

A young Sam Hain would impress opening the batting, and Olly Hannon-Dalby would also play a part with the ball.

Group stages

The 18 First Class counties were split into two groups, with Warwickshire taking their place in the North Group alongside the likes of local-rivals Worcestershire and Lancashire. The Bears would play each team in their group once, with the top four at the end of the group stage progressing to the Quarter Finals.

While the South Group was decided early, with Somerset easing through to the next round as group winners, the North Group was tightly contested, with the Quarter Final spots decided on net run rate.

The Bears spent the group stage searching for consistency. An opening day defeat to Lancashire was followed by a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Leicestershire thanks to an unbeaten 105 from Hain at the top of the order.

A Trott hundred couldn’t prevent the Bears from a 36-run loss to Notts Outlaws in their next outing. The next fixture against Derbyshire was washed out by rain, and then the Bears took local bragging rights, easing to an eight-wicket win against Worcestershire after a Clarke five-for saw the Rapids bowled out for 115.

A 180-run opening stand between Porterfield (92) and Hain (88) powered the Bears to an eight-wicket win against Northants, however another Hain hundred against Durham wasn’t enough for the team to pick up a third successive win.

Heading into the final group game against Yorkshire, the Bears needed a positive result to contend for a place in the Quarter Finals and to boost their net run rate.

Batting first, Trott continued his good form by striking a 135-ball 118 as the Bears set Yorkshire 284 for victory, before Javid and Patel picked up seven wickets between them as the Bears won by 114 runs on Duckworth-Lewis.

The Bears registered nine points from their eight games to finish second in the group due to their net run rate. For context, Durham also finished on nine points but finished fifth in the group and missed out on a place in the Quarters.

Quarter Final fight back

A home fixture against Essex followed in the Quarter Finals, and it was a comprehensive display from the Bears that saw them safely through to the Semi Finals.

Warwickshire won the toss and batted first, making good use of the Edgbaston pitch to post 283 for seven from their 50 overs. Trott was at it again with the bat, registering yet another hundred, while Tim Ambrose (60) and Laurie Evans (70*) also made telling contributions.

A 75-run opening stand inside 13 overs put Essex in a strong position, but the Bears battled back. Once Javid dismissed Nick Browne (39), Warwickshire continued to take wickets, reducing Essex to 134 for six before they were eventually all out for 213. The wickets were shared around, with Patel and Josh Poysden both taking three wickets apiece as the Bears booked their spot in the Semi Finals with a 70-run win.

Semi-Final thriller

Somerset had arguably been the form team in the competition so far, winning the South Group and then winning by nine wickets in the Quarter Final against Worcestershire to set up a Semi Final clash with the Bears at Edgbaston that would go right down to the wire.

Warwickshire batted first again, and all of the top order contributed. Trott was the first to be dismissed after making 44 and putting on 90 for the first wicket with Hain. Hain was next to go for 86, but not before he’d put on 88 with Bell for the second wicket. Bell would go on to top score, ending unbeaten on 94 from 90 balls as the Bears posted a testing total of 284 for four.

Somerset’s reply stalled due to some impressive bowling by the Bears, with Jeetan Patel at his very best to take career-best one-day bowling figures of five for 43 as Somerset were reduced to 161 for seven. With the game seemingly all-but over, Ryan Davies (46 from 33) and Tim Groenewald (30* from 20) produced an outstanding assault that got their side within touching distance, but a fine final over from Hannon-Dalby was enough to see the Bears through to the Final by eight runs.

Toppling Surrey in the final

Surrey had come through an equally gripping Semi-Final with Yorkshire to set up a Final against the Bears, but it would prove to be a miss-match on the day.

Taking place at Lord’s on Saturday 17 September 2016, the Bears’ bowling attack proved too good for a Surrey team that included the likes of Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara and home-grown stars Sam Curran, Ben Foakes, Gareth Batty and Jason Roy.

Surrey won the toss and batted first but were never allowed to get going. Roy (24), Steven Davies (23), Sangakkara (21) and Rory Burns (40) all made starts, but failed to make a telling contribution, as Chris Woakes, Chris Wright, Javid, Hannon-Dalby and Patel all took wickets.

The relentlessness of the Bears attack saw Surrey rolled over for 136.

Step forward that man Trott once again. An unbeaten 82 from 100 balls was enough to see the Bears to the total, two wickets down, and with just shy of 20 overs remaining as they sealed a dominant eight-wicket win.

Trott was named man of the match, while Hain ended as the leading run-scoring in the competition with 540 runs.