Preview: Worcestershire v Warwickshire, LV= Insurance County Championship

Report: Warwickshire v Nottinghamshire, LV= Insurance County Championship

Warwickshire have their qualification fate in the LV= Insurance County Championship very much in their own hands as they prepare for their final Group 1 game away to Worcestershire.

Will Rhodes' side sits second in the group table, nine points ahead of third-placed Durham and 12 points clear of Essex in fourth. The Bears know that victory over their old rivals would secure a top two finish, preserving their chance of winning the county championship. A draw with a strong haul of bonus points would also almost certainly be enough.

Various permutations could come into play, but captain Rhodes insists his team must close their minds to events elsewhere and focus squarely on the job in front of them at New Road.

The permutations uppermost in the minds of Rhodes and first team coach Mark Robinson in the last 24 hours have been selection ones. The Bears are grappling with the unavailability of a clutch of senior players, most notably six bowlers - Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Henry Brookes, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Olly Stone and Chris Woakes - as well as spin-bowling all-rounder Dan Mousley.

In the absence of spinners Briggs and Mousley, T20 bowling linchpin Jake Lintott has been included in a championship squad for the first time. First-year pro Manraj Johal, a paceman, also comes into the squad.

The senior ranks are heavily depleted, but Rhodes says there is a real determination among the whole group to round off an excellent championship Group A campaign with one more strong performance to nail that top-two finish.

"There is a lot of excitement around the club about how we have played our red ball cricket this year," the skipper said.

"It will be tough game. We have a few key people unavailable and we have got to go again after last night, which was very disappointing, but we know there is a place in Super September at stake. Training today has got our heads back around red ball cricket again and we will be ready for four days against the Pears.

"Hopefully we can make the running and play some good cricket and, if we can do that, it will give us a lot of confidence going into the two huge T20s next weekend. Last night was a setback, of course, but this time next weekend we could still have qualified in two competitions."

Squad

Will Rhodes (C), Jacob Bethell, Michael Burgess (WK), Sam Hain, Manraj Johal, Matt Lamb, Jake Lintott, Pieter Malan, Craig Miles, Liam Nowell, Dom Sibley, Ryan Sidebottom, Rob Yates.

How to follow

Warwickshire Members and supporters will be able to watch the action via the Match Centre on edgbaston.com, through the Edgbaston app (available on iOS and Android) and through the Warwickshire CCC YouTube page.