Preview: Warwickshire v Lancashire, Bob Willis Trophy

Robinson sees a group keen to 'keep improving'

Warwickshire will face Lancashire in the Bob Willis Trophy final at Lord's eager to complete a double after their brilliant lifting of the LV= Insurance County Championship.

The stunning last-day denouement at Edgbaston last Friday triggered celebrations from Bears fans around the world. It was a truly memorable climax to a superb red-ball season which culminated in county cricket's most prestigious prize coming to Edgbaston in Mark Robinson's first year as first team coach.

Robinson has known plenty of success in his career but admits this triumph was unique for him - and is determined to make it just the start of the success for a Bears squad which can grow and build together.

"I've been in the game a long time and won the championship once as assistant coach and twice as head coach, but last Friday was a unique day for me," he said. "To do it in that way, to have to judge the declaration and then take ten wickets quite quickly and to clinch it after tea on the last day, that was very special.

"It is a fantastic achievement by everybody. The players have responded to what I have asked them to do, we have got a great back-up staff and I am pleased for everybody connected with the club.

"Everybody has been outstanding. The players have shown a lot of character and resilience this year and there is more to come from his team.

"There is a more to come - and that's what is really exciting."

First up comes a five-dayer at Lord's for the Bob Willis Trophy and Robinson, though no stranger to Lord's or to success, will savour this week and the special feel of the historic venue as deeply as ever.

"I had a year out of county cricket which was good for me, but then Covid hits and you wonder, 'crikey are you going to get back in?'" he said. "Then I got this wonderful opportunity at Warwickshire and now we have a showpiece match at Lord's. You never take these special games for granted because you don't know when the next one will be.

"Everybody has celebrated well and rightly so but now we will go to Lord's for a showcase game at the home of cricket and try to play some cricket that will grace the occasion."

The Bears' celebrations were justifiably long and loud...just like those of Frank Foster's team after they secured Warwickshire's first title. Led by the ever-thirsty captain, the Bears players of 1911 larged it to a degree which impacted slightly on their performance in the post-season Champions v The Rest fixture at The Oval.

After powering past all-comers to win the championship, Foster's weary troops were trounced by an innings and 365 runs (Warwickshire 129 and 137, The Rest 631 for five).