Championship Rewind: Warwickshire v Derbyshire, 1972

Bob Willis was kept waiting for his Warwickshire debut after joining from Surrey in 1972.

The big fast bowler, already an England player, was suspended from first class cricket until July 1 that year by the Test and County Cricket Board. Much to the Bears' frustration, the TCCB registration subcommittee didn't actually give a reason for the ban, but the governing body disapproved of players switching counties so, after a five-and-a-half-hour hearing, the county's appeal was rejected. The ban stayed in place.

Finally, on July 1, Willis made his debut against Worcestershire in the championship at Edgbaston and harvested a rusty 13-0-65-0 as Glenn Turner scored a century. Four days later, in his second game, a Gillette Cup win Headingley, the rust started to come off, much to the distress of Geoffrey Boycott. The Yorkshire opener retired hurt and required ten stitches in a finger after copping a lifter on his right hand. 'Big Bob' had arrived.

He arrived in a wonderful year for an international-studded Bears team. Fuelled by the runs of Rohan Kanhai, Dennis Amiss, Mike Smith, Alvin Kallicharran, John Whitehouse and John Jameson and the wickets of Willis, Norman McVicker, Lance Gibbs and David Brown, they charged to the championship title.

After his nought-fer against Worcestershire, Willis collected his first championship wicket for Warwickshire, Glamorgan captain Tony Lewis, in the next game at Edgbaston. He then worked his way back to full fitness in another seven championship matches, taking important wickets in the crucial win over Kent at Dartford, before Derbyshire felt the full force.

The pitch was bland, offering little to the seamers, and Derbyshire did not hesitate to choose to bat, but Willis blew them away. Somehow he prised steep bounce from the placid surface on the way to figures of 15.4-4-44-8.

Openers Peter Gibbs and Alan Hill were soon back in the hutch thanks to catches behind the wicket from Deryck Murray and Dennis Amiss. Only number three Malcolm Page, with a heroic 125 out of his team's 188, resisted for long.

Bowling with superbly focused hostility, making the ball rear from just short of a length, Willis blasted his way through the middle order before rounding off the innings in the grand manner...with a hat-trick.

Page's edge to Kanhai in the cordon just left tail-enders Mike Hendrick and David Wilde to face the music. It was an unequal contest. Rapid yorkers dispatched them both first ball, Willis had his hat-trick and had truly arrived at Edgbaston.

Next day, the title was secured. Three days later, on the first morning of their last game of the season, against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, the Warwickshire players enjoyed a champagne and kippers breakfast in the team hotel, courtesy of captain Alan Smith. They could afford to indulge themselves...the first day was washed out.

On days two and three, the captains then set up a contest which ended with the Bears winning by four wickets. The Wisden report of the match gives an indication of how different cricket was in those days, 49 years ago.

In their second innings, it was reported, "Nottinghamshire speedily added 26 without loss." Those 26 "speedy" runs came in nine overs!

Brian Bolus scored five not out watching him bat less than speedily must have been hard going...

Please note that Warwickshire's LV= Insurance County Championship match with Derbyshire (8-11 April) will be played behind closed doors due to the latest Government guidelines. All action will be available to watch via the Live Stream in the match centre on edgbaston.com.