Warwickshire hit the road for the first time in 2025 as they head north to take on Durham in Round Two of the Rothesay County Championship.
And a familiar face will await Ian Westwood’s men at Chester-le-Street: former Bears skipper Will Rhodes.
Rhodes left Edgbaston last September after seven seasons during which he lifted the Division One title and was an ever-present in First Class cricket, scoring 5,283 runs and taking 72 wickets in 91 red ball appearances.
Durham finished fifth in Division One last season with four wins and, following some shrewd acquisitions in the winter, had been tipped by many to challenge for the title in 2025.
However, their new campaign got off to a stuttering start with an eight-wicket defeat against Nottinghamshire in which Rhodes, batting at six, scored 10 and two. They will be looking to bounce back quickly against the Bears.
Another of their new signings, Emilio Gay, picked up a pair at Trent Bridge but showed his class in the top order with Northamptonshire last season when he amassed 919 runs in 10 matches at an average of 57.53.
He turns 25 during the game and Bears fans will be hoping Warwickshire spoil his celebrations on the pitch.
Bedingham run machine
Nobody scored more runs in English domestic First Class cricket last season than Durham’s David Bedingham.
The 30-year-old racked up 1,331 runs – topping the County Championship scoring charts – with a whopping average of 78.29.
Bedingham has spent the last two months in his native South Africa playing for Western Province and missed last weekend’s fixture. It remains to be seen if he’ll return in time for the Bears’ visit.
Even if he misses out, there is no shortage of firepower in Durham’s top order.
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Colin Ackerman (pic above) blasted two centuries (116 and 124) in the defeat at Trent Bridge, while England opener Alex Lees got off the mark with a 50 in the first innings.
Three Durham bowlers topped 30 wickets in 2024: seamers Matt Potts and Ben Raine, plus spinner Callum Parkinson.
Potts – who’s taken 46 wickets in 19 England appearances – opened his account for 2025 with five wickets last weekend.
England Test Captain Ben Stokes is not expected to feature while fellow international quicks Mark Wood and Brydon Carse are also sidelined with knee and toe injuries, respectively.
2024 recap
The game (11-14 April) marks Warwickshire’s first County Championship trip to Durham in almost two years.
The two sides met just once last season – again in Round Two – at Edgbaston when Bears accumulated their second highest ever First Class score of 698/3d in a high scoring draw.
Skipper Alex Davies hit 256, Rob Yates 191…and a certain Will Rhodes was unbeaten on 178.
