Bears urged to show spirit of 1911 and 1995 in Championship finale

Frank Foster and Dermot Reeve are arguably Warwickshire's two most inspiring and dynamic captains.

Almost a century apart they led the Bears into the final game of the season knowing that victory would secure the Championship title and at Northampton in 1911 and Canterbury in 1995, the Bears delivered.

In five of the seven years in which Warwickshire have won the county championship, they clinched it with at least one match to spare.

In 1951, powered by the brilliance of leg-spinner Eric Hollies, Tom Dollery's side clinched it with three games to spare. In 1972, Alan Smith's side breakfasted on kippers and champagne on the morning of the first day of their last fixture, at Trent Bridge, the title already having been secured.

In '94, the treble-chasers won it in the penultimate match. In 2004, Nick Knight's men were declared championship ahead of their last game in quiet fashion - they were not actually playing but others missed out on crucial bonus points elsewhere. In 2012, Jim Troughton's buccaneering unit rolled Worcestershire over at New Road to ensure that they could travel up to Nottingham for their final game with the pressure off.

In 1911 and 1995, however, Warwickshire had work still to do going into the final fixture. The situation was not quite the same as that facing Will Rhodes's side this week when the Bears must win and hope that is enough to keep them ahead of the rest. In '11 and '95, victory would secure the prize for sure but there was still pressure - and Foster and Reeve showed their genius for leadership to ensure that the prize was landed.

The Bears' 1911 triumph remains perhaps the most sensational championship campaign ever recorded by any county. They started the season as a rabble and were stuffed by Surrey at The Oval by an innings in two days. The committee decided that urgent action was required.

Brilliant all-rounder Frank Foster did not play at The Oval. A true maverick, although only 22, he had announced his retirement the previous winter. But when the committee, which included his father, went to him after the shambolic defeat at Surrey and begged him not only to return, but as captain, he agreed.

The transformation was immediate and spectacular. Foster's men won the next game, against Lancashire at Old Trafford, and unfurled victory after victory until they went into the last match, away to Northamptonshire, knowing that victory would bring the title to Edgbaston for the first time.

The brilliant bowling of Foster and Frank Field had underpinned the title charge and they soon made short work of the home batsmen, rattling them all out for 73. An aggressive century from Crowther Charlesworth then lifted the Bears to 281 and the brink of the title. Northamptonshire closed the second day on 137 for seven second time round...and then it rained!

With more poor weather forecast, and his side on the threshold of history, Foster thought outside the box (to be fair, he pretty much lived outside the box!). On Monday night, he kept his team up late into the night in the bar, playing snooker and cards to relax them. They needed to stay relaxed, all night it rained.

It rained into the next morning but relented just after lunchtime and play began at 3pm. The Bears polished off the last three wickets and that first title was theirs.

When the Bears travelled to Canterbury for the last game of 1995, Reeve did not keep them up in the bar all night during the game. He did think outside the box in one crucial way, however, though Warwickshire's side that year was such a juggernaut that, by that stage, all he had to do was let it roll on.

The Bears batted first and piled up 468 for six as Nick Knight scored 174, his first championship century for the county, and Roger Twose 109 in his last game as a Bear. Kent were soon 20 for four in reply as Allan Donald (two for 48) and Reeve (five for 30) got among them.

In the second innings came Reeve's creative thinking. He threw the new ball to spinner Ashley Giles...who rapidly dismissed Kent top three Mark Benson, Trevor Ward and Nigel Llong as Kent lurched to 41 for four. Just after 5pm on the third day, Min Patel edged Donald to Neil Smith at slip and the Bears were champions.

Just like Foster all those years before him, Reeve had shown his genius for leadership. It remains to be seen whether Will Rhodes will keep the 2021 Bears up all night playing cards and snooker on Monday evening.