The 1988 season, their first under the captaincy of Andy Lloyd, was a seminal one for Warwickshire.
They didn't win any trophies but the difference in their cricket was palpable. Under Lloyd, they became much more positive and purposeful. 1988 was the year when the club started to leave behind 15 years of mediocrity since winning the 1972 championship and begun the advance towards the success of the '90s.
Warwickshire's supporters were afforded the first glimpse of the new era when Essex visited in the championship in May '88. On a difficult pitch, the Bears won by five-wickets...assisted by a masterclass by one of the opposition!
In Essex's first innings Aussie great Allan Border retired hurt after taking a short ball from West Indian paceman Tony Merrick on the bonce. Merrick, vying with a young Allan Donald for the Bears' overseas pace bowling slot, was seriously quick. So that hurt.
Border's response was to score a brilliant century in the second innings. As Asif Din, who played for the Bears in the match, recalls: "He showed us how to bat in those conditions."
Lloyd won the toss and gave his seamers (Merrick, Gordon Parsons, Tim Munton, Dermot Reeve and Paul Smith) first crack at an interesting pitch. When Paul Prichard edged Merrick to Geoff Humpage, Border went to the crease.
His famed appetite for battle was apparent as he dug in alongside John Stephenson. Border was on four, the score 67 for two, when Merrick charged in again.
Din takes up the story.
"He had to go to hospital but when he came back he showed us how to bat in those conditions. He batted beautifully in the second innings. The pitch hadn't got any easier when we chased on the last day, but he had showed us how to do it so we all learned from him."
While Border nursed his aching head on the opening day, Essex made 166 (Merrick four for 39, Smith three for seven). England left-armer John Lever then struck hard, removing Andy Moles, Din and Alvin Kallicharran and the Bears were indebted to Reeve (36) for their 160 - just six behind.
With the pitch still offering plenty, Merrick and Parsons reduced Essex to 12 for three second time round, but Border showed his class with a brilliant 112. He then edged Merrick to Reeve in the slips and the last five wickets fell for 30, leaving the Bears 254, the highest total of the match, to win.
Their batsmen had watched and learned. Moles (41) and Lloyd (86) added 106 for the first wicket then Din (33), Kallicharran (24) and Smith (32 not out) chipped in to take the Bears to victory.
It was an hugely impressive collective effort and the first evidence of the resilience and positivity that Lloyd was sowing in the squad - and which would lead to one, sensationally-clinched trophy in 1989 and then the glory of the '90s.
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