Leicestershire are the visitors to The People’s Home of Cricket with day one set to get under way at 10:30am on Thursday 24 September. Free tickets are available for day one, with tickets for days two, three and four priced at just £15 with U16s free of charge. Here is everything you need to know ahead of the highly anticipated clash…
Team news
Ed Barnard has the luxury of naming the same 14-player squad for the visit of Leicestershire. The playing XI will be announced at the toss.
Bears squad: Ed Barnard, Kai Smith, Jordan Thompson, Will Young, Ethan Bamber, Chris Woakes, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Manav Suthar, Zen Malik, Rob Yates, Dan Mousley, Sam Hain, Vansh Jani, Michael Booth
The title race: How it stands
Following Warwickshire’s two-day victory over Essex last week, and defeats for both Somerset and Nottinghamshire, Warwickshire are now 11 points clear at the top of the Division One table with one game remaining.
That means Warwickshire need 14 points to guarantee the title. There are a maximum of 24 points available for a win, made up of 16 points for the win and eight available bonus points for batting and bowling.
Simply put, a win would guarantee Warwickshire the title. They can also still win the Championship with a draw though, with a draw earning eight points. On top of that they would then need six additional batting and bowling points for the 14 required, and to put themselves out of reach of Somerset.
Bears form
Warwickshire are playing their best cricket of the season when it matters most. Since the return of the four-day format, they have been near unstoppable. In five games since its return, the Bears have won four of their five fixtures, and have triumphed in each of their last three games all of which have come away from home.
It’s been a phenomenal stretch for Ed Barnard’s side, with the last two victories coming inside two days. The Warwickshire bowling attack has played a key role in that success. In the last six bowling innings, the opposing team hasn’t surpassed 200 runs.
Should the Bears produce more of the same against Leicestershire, they should do enough to secure the title.
Opposition insight
Last week was a turbulent one for Leicestershire off the field as they were deducted 27 points following ‘disciplinary proceedings from an investigation into the pitch’ for their match against Glamorgan last month.
That points deduction has put them on the verge of relegation, however on the pitch, they were fighting back against Hampshire, and produced a brilliant five-wicket win to maintain their slim hopes of remaining in Division One.
In the fourth innings Leicestershire chased down 334 for victory, with Rehan Ahmed (55), Nick Kelly (86) and Ben Cox (75*) all making key contributions in their successful chase.
Last meeting
You have to go back to 2018 when the two teams last met in the County Championship, and on that occasion both teams were in Division Two. Warwickshire secured a comprehensive innings and 104-run victory on their way to winning the league title and earning a return to the top flight of English domestic cricket.
Keith Barker and Olly Stone took three wickets apiece, and Chris Woakes and Chris Wright two as Leicestershire were dismissed for exactly 100 in the first innings.
The Bears then piled on the runs thanks to a century from Dom Sibley (106), and 50s from Sam Hain (72) and Woakes (73*), reaching 400 before they declared with a 300-run lead.
Barker then added to his first innings haul, taking five for 40, and Jeetan Patel took four for 67 as the Bears dismissed Leicestershire for 196 to seal a dominant win.
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