Preview: Warwickshire v Worcestershire, LV= Insurance County Championship

Warwickshire face old rivals Worcestershire at Edgbaston seeking a victory to reassert themselves in the incredibly tight race for a top-two finish in the LV= Insurance County Championship Group 1 table.

An innings defeat at Durham last week left the Bears bruised and showed what a leveller the great game of cricket is, coming just a few days after a brilliant win over Essex.

It also further condensed a remarkably tight group in which the Bears remain top, but only five points separate five teams. Those teams include Worcestershire who have drawn all four games so far, quite a productive policy with a draw now worth eight points.

This week's clash is the 191st championship meeting between the clubs (the Bears have won 52 and the Pears 38 with 100 draws and one match abandoned) and its outcome could have a huge bearing on the group.

Overseas batsman Pieter Malan and England fast bowler Olly Stone come into the squad as the Bears seek to bounce back hard from the drubbing at Durham.

"We were outplayed, there is no disguising that," said first team coach Mark Robinson. "There weren't a lot of highs for us. The partnership between Liam Norwell and Craig Miles in the first innings and the wicketkeeping of Michael Burgess, who kept brilliantly on a difficult pitch that was keeping low. That's about it. After two very good performances, we were well-beaten.

"It's one we have to take on the chin and move on from very quickly. We are still top of the table and of someone had said we would be there after four games, we'd have taken that. Now it's all about preparing for Worcestershire."

Dominic Sibley's broken finger rules the England opener out but South Africa batsman Malan is set for his belated debut. The 31-year-old emerged from quarantine on Saturday and has been getting in what practice he can during this wet week.

"The weather hasn't been kind so Pieter has had to practice indoors but hopefully he will get an outdoor hit before the game," said Robinson. "He is a high class player and we are all really pleased to welcome him on board."

Worcestershire will arrive just two points behind Will Rhodes's side in the Group A table even though they are yet to win a game. They have comfortably the most batting points of anybody in Group A, but the fewest bowling points.

That points system is attracting some debate at the moment. The Bears are the only side in Group A to have won two of their first four games, yet they have a negligible advantage over four teams who have won either one or no games. Perhaps it should revert to the system in place when the Bears won the championship in 1972 when a draw was rewarded with...no points!

Squad

Rhodes (c), Bresnan, Briggs, Burgess (wk), Hannon-Dalby, Hain, Lamb, Malan, Miles, Mousley, Norwell, Stone, Yates.

How to follow

Warwickshire Members and supporters will be able to watch the action via our live stream, which will include replays and commentary from BBC WM and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire.

All action will be live streamed through the Match Centre on edgbaston.com, through the Edgbaston app (available on iOS and Android) and through the Warwickshire CCC YouTube page.

Supporters can also keep up to date with the scores and in-play clips through the Match Centre on edgbaston.com.

Please note that Warwickshire’s LV= Insurance County Championship match with Worcestershire (6-9 May) will be played behind closed doors due to the latest Government guidelines.