In the stands, a few hundred Warwickshire members were braving the Spring chill in the air as they eagerly awaited their cricket fix for the first time in almost seven months.
Woakes ran in with his usual grace and threw down the opening ball of the season which was left by Surrey’s Rory Burns and the start of a long campaign was under way. Watching from the relative warmth of the home dressing room viewing area, Bears’ Head Coach Ian Westwood looked on with high hopes for what the 2026 season could bring.
“I suppose nervous excitement would be the words. Everybody's had a good pre-season, but they're just ready to get out and get cracking now.”
And get cracking they did. The run-out of Burns in the third over made for the first wicket to fall in English County Cricket in 2026 and set the Bears on their way to what turned out to be their ninth Championship-winning campaign.
Ben Foakes’ classy century served as the anchor of Surrey’s fightback in 328 all out, before the Bears piled on the runs in a first innings of 544, led by Dan Mousley’s maiden First Class century as the game eventually petered out into a draw.
A trip to Hove followed, but the sea breeze and balmy conditions did not help the Warwickshire attack, as they fell to their first – and as it turned out, only – defeat of the year.
They posted what looked like an only ever-so-slightly below par first innings total of 267, but bowled the hosts out for 204 to take a lead into the second innings. They added 264 at the second time of asking, with Rob Yates scoring 90 at the top of the order, but some loose bowling resulted in Sussex easing to a five-wicket victory and sending the Bears back up the M40 licking their wounds.
The beauty of the County Championship – particularly in the early season – is the lack of time to dwell on what’s gone before, with the visit of Essex coming just four days after defeat by the sea.
What ensued at Edgbaston was a low-scoring thriller, with less than 800 runs being scored across the four innings. Sam Hain (88*) and Beau Webster (91) were the leading lights across the Bears’ first and second innings, respectively, but it was the returning Keith Barker who took many of the plaudits for his superb 4-29 to wrap up victory for the home side.
The 39-year-old, eight years on from his last appearance for Warwickshire, rolled back the years with a fabulous spell of bowling which, sadly, was his last act in First Class cricket as he succumbed to a knee injury and announced his retirement from professional cricket just four months later.
“There's a hell of a lot of depth in this squad,” Barker said after the Essex victory. “It's great to be a part of this, a good variety of age. I know I'm at the furthest part of that age group, but it's good we've got some real good talent.
“I think it's good that we have lads that want to learn. Sometimes young lads can be quite stubborn and think they know it all, but this group is amazing, they all want to learn, they all want to work hard, they all want to get better. It makes it a lot easier when you're stood at mid-off or in practice and you're chatting bowling, they're all keen to learn and want to get the most out of their ability.”
The mindset of wanting to learn was crucial when the Bears travelled to Trent Bridge a few days later, as a high-scoring draw meant many overs in the field and plenty of miles in the legs for the bowling attack.
Barnard led the batting charge with a sublime 165 being the highlight of the Bears’ 459 and the skipper laid down the gauntlet to the defending County Champions by enforcing the follow-on after wrapping up the hosts’ first innings for 279.
The Outlaws did, however, show the prowess of champions in their second attempt, amassing 537/7 before declaring with two centurions and two half-centuries on their card, with the two captains shaking hands towards the end of the afternoon.
The season moved into May and with the weather warming, early morning dew disappearing quicker than before and jumpers being swapped for t-shirts, Yorkshire visited Edgbaston Stadium for a Sam Hain masterclass.
Only three players reached double digits in the Bears’ first innings of 147, with Hain being caught on 55 by Harry Brook off the bowling of Jack White, but Warwickshire trailed by only five heading into their second innings after restricting the White Rose to 152.
Then came the Hain show. 404 minutes. 319 balls. 215 dots. 16 fours. 164 runs. Oh, not out, too.
The Bears set Yorkshire a mammoth 549 to win, with Hain’s glorious innings being ably supported by Rob Yates (81), Dan Mousley (70), Ed Barnard (57) and Zen Malik (57).
Victory was wrapped up in just 53.1 overs, with the increasingly-influential Ethan Bamber taking 4-50 from 19 overs as the Bears completed the most emphatic of demolitions by 377 runs.
It was their second highest ever championship win by a margin of runs, just one shy of the 378-run victory over Northamptonshire at Edgbaston in 1927 when seamer Tom Durnell, playing only his second championship match, took seven for 29. Ninety-nine years later came this match which will live long in the memories of the home supporters.
The final game of the opening block of Championship games saw the Bears welcome Glamorgan to Edgbaston Stadium, in a match which was frustratingly hampered by rain. In the end, the captains shook hands with Warwickshire 100/2 and still needing 267 runs to win.
The draw signified the end of what the Bears would have viewed as a solid opening block of games, with just a single defeat amongst a mixture of wins and draws.
While those who play across formats swapped the red ball for white as the Vitality Blast got under way, Westwood and Performance Director James Thomas worked in the background on strengthening their squad for the next block of games.
Australian Beau Webster was the only overseas player in their side, meaning there was scope to bring in another for the two County Championship games – against Yorkshire and Somerset – sandwiched between the Blast matches.
With the busy domestic cricket schedule and increasingly hectic international duties, available overseas players were at a premium but, over in Rajasthan, there was an emerging left-arm spinner who was raising eyebrows and had just been named in the India squad for the first time.
The Bears coincided the announcement of the signing of Manav Suthar with his debut for his country, where he took 6-33 against Afghanistan and received the player of the match award.
He then jetted to the UK to join up with his new team-mates at Edgbaston, and played in both draws against Yorkshire and Somerset.
The 24-year-old, although unable to contribute to a victory in either match, took 11 wickets over the two games and made a lasting impression with his team-mates. Although it was only a short-term deal, the club quickly got to work in trying to work out a return for the final block of fixtures, which they achieved by securing his services – along with the return of Kiwi opener Will Young – for the final block of fixtures.
The Blast resumed and quickly went for another year, while the Metro Bank One Day Cup gave Vansh Jani the opportunity to further showcase his talents with an average of 62 – a run of form which proved enough to earn him a spot in the County Championship side against Sussex upon the resumption of the competition.
Taking a five-run lead into the second innings and after being bowled out for 161, they restricted Sussex to 207 all out with the wickets being shared around the bowlers.
The run chase was looking like a relatively simple affair when Jani joined the set Mousley at the crease but after a partnership of 107, Sean Hunt powered through the Bears’ line-up with three wickets in 11 balls.
Woakes (23*) and Michael Booth (16) tip-toed the Bears towards their target but after Hunt bowled Booth and Bamber could only muster nine before being caught off Crocombe, it was left to former England international Woakes and Olly Hannon-Dalby to get over the line.
Amid glorious, excruciating tension the duo took their time - 13 dot balls – before Woakes edged Unadkat for the winning four.
“How difficult can it be so get one run? But on a surface which helped the bowlers and when they were bowling so well, it was tricky,” Woakes said afterwards, with a mixture of elation and relief.
“At one stage we were in a position where we could have probably cruised home a little bit easier than we did, but that's the game. Pressure builds and situations change. It was a wicket where batters struggled early on in their innings. But we got over the line and that's what matters. We were just pleased to get there because we had put in a hard shift for three days.”
The victory set up a mouthwatering clash with defending champions Notts at Edgbaston the following week, but, water turned out to be the optimum word as the much-anticipated clash was largely washed out, with only 132 overs bowled in the match and the sides settling for a draw with each team only having batted once.
Earth, Wind & Fire once asked Do you remember the 21st night of September? but Bears’ fans will have no trouble in remembering much of September 2026 as they watched their side dominate Division One in some style.
With three successive away matches scheduled in the first three weeks of the month, even those with the bluest of blue tinted glasses would not have foreseen what was about to unfold.
The first trip of the month was a journey to Southampton to face Hampshire and, after Rob Yates’ 109 helped the Bears to 398 all out, they were not required to bat again after skittling the hosts first for 115, then for 154 with the follow-on enforced as Suthar made his presence known with seven wickets in the match.
"There was a bit in the pitch if you bowled really well,” said Westwood. “We bowled well and caught well and having Manav back in the ranks was great - he is a classy operator.”
The bowling attack were treated to a richly-deserved day off having wrapped up victory inside three days, but that was made to look like a long hard slog by what was to come next.
From Southampton to Cardiff, it was Glamorgan next up for Westwood’s charges as they remained hot on the heels of defending champions Notts and fellow challengers Somerset, as the race for the Division One title turned into a three horse race.
Bowling first, Bamber ripped through the top order by removing the entire top five for a combined 31 before skipper Barnard, Hannon-Dalby and Suthar removed the rest as Glamorgan were bowled out for 69 in just 26.3 overs.
In reply, the Bears put on 391 as the confidence continued to grow and everyone clearly knew what they needed to do. Will Young notched his highest score since rejoining the Bears with 60, before Hain did what Hain does, with another classy 76 before Barnard (51) and Kai Smith – having scored 51 against Hampshire – finished on 49 not out.
The Bears led by over 300 runs and were well in the driving seat, but it took them just 26.1 overs to secure victory, this time inside two days.
This time, it was captain Barnard’s turn to rip through the Glamorgan batting line-up, taking 5-13 from just 6.1 overs. The headlines, quite rightly, went to the likes of Bamber and Barnard for their five-wicket hauls but in the background tidying up was Suthar, taking 1-0 off three balls in the first innings, and 2-0 from two overs in the second.
“Pretty remarkable in the end,” Barnard said. “For it to happen that quickly just shows how well the boys bowled even with how happy we were after day one.
“I think it’s hard to judge the opposition but we were relentless, and I think our three batters got through a tricky period then to have a nice platform and everyone scored well.”
With the game finishing two days early, it gave Woakes the opportunity to turn his hand to one of his other interests; commentary.
The third and final Rothesay Test Match of the series against Pakistan was taking place at Edgbaston and Sky Sports came calling. During their broadcast, presenter Ian Ward turned the attention towards the title race and it gave Woakes chance to speak about what it would mean to get over the line.
“It’s [the County Championship] still of the highest importance for the majority of the squad,” Woakes said.
“Some guys are on white-ball contracts, so they’ll prioritise the Blast, but I think as a County and as a dressing room, it’s the one you do the most talking about.
“You’ve got to be good across the whole summer. It’s a bit like winning the Premier League.”
Make no mistake. The Bears are viewing this like winning the Premier League. The best league in the world.
Anyway. Microphone away. Bowling boots back on. Essex away.
Bowling first, Bamber blew them away. 15 overs, five maidens, six wickets for 26 runs. The Bears bowled their hosts out for 134 and then, guess what? As they say in football grounds up and down the country; Hain again olé, olé.
He finished on 88*, his eighth half century of the season, as the Bears were bowled out for 191 and a 57-run lead.
The home side’s second innings was finished inside 60 overs, with Suthar picking up his maiden five-for in English cricket, complemented by three wickets for Woakes and one apiece for Bamber and Barnard.
Warwickshire knew what they needed to do – 133 to win and more than two days to do it. They entered the penultimate round of fixtures in third place in Division One, five points behind leaders Somerset. The expectation was that it would all come down to the final round of games and the penultimate match-week was as much about not playing your way out of the title race than remaining in it.
However, with results elsewhere seemingly going in the Bears’ favour, it looked like a win at Chelmsford could see them take hold of top spot.
They won it later that day, with Yates (33) and Malik – parachuted into the side due to an issue with Young’s visa – scoring 51 at the top of the order, before Mousley and Hain came to the crease. Both played nicely with Mousley amounting 51 and Hain sat on 16 with the scores level, before charging Critchley and smashing a six over mid-on to see the Bears home.
Victory meant the Bears, having played a game more, moved to the top of Division One and attention turned to Hove (Sussex v Nottinghamshire) and Headingley (Yorkshire v Somerset).
The outcome?
Sussex (W).
Yorkshire (W).
The Bears were top. 11 points clear. Their destiny in their own hands.
“We can only control what we’re doing, and we’ll be going into that game to try and win it,” Barnard said. “We’ve won four out of the last five, and we believe we’re in a very strong position. We’ll just have to see where that takes us.”
Bamber’s exploits earned him the Player of the Round award and, having been told of his achievement, was typically understated.
“It does feel quite surreal. For someone like me, Division One county cricket is probably the top of my career. That's probably as far as I'll go in the game and that's fine. I'm very comfortable with that.”
After what he’s done with the ball this season, people should really be taking more note.
“I’ve never won anything,” Bamber said. “I’ve never been close to winning anything, so I couldn’t tell you what it would feel like if we are able to get over the line, but I think it would be a really proud moment.”
When Bamber lines up from the Pavillion End at Edgbaston, his opening partner knows all about winning things. Woakes has won trophies domestically and internationally during a stellar career, but the hunger never dissipates.
“An opportunity to win silverware is where you want to be. It’s a big week and we’ll be playing to win, that’s for sure.
“We’ve got a great set of lads here and a great team, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. It’d just be nice to finish it off with a trophy.
“This Club is heaped in tradition with silverware, so hopefully we can add to that.”
So, to the final game of the season. A late September morning which would not have looked out of place in the height of summer. The sun was shining, Edgbaston looking sparkling and with the club offering free tickets for the opening day’s play, over 2,000 people were entering the gates ready for a what they hoped would be an exciting day’s play.
And they didn’t have to wait long.
Third ball of the day, Bamber, a close LBW call turned down. The next ball, gone. Bowled for 0 and the Bears were up and running.
Next over. Woakes. LBW. Leicestershire were 5/2 and already up against it.
Really, there was no let up from there on. Four for Bamber, three for Woakes, two for Barnard and one for Hannon-Dalby and the Bears saw the Foxes off in 47 overs and for just 125 runs.
Warwickshire’s reply started badly when Yates played on to Ian Holland’s seventh ball. Mousley struck four quick fours to get the innings going but then changed his bat and edged the next ball, from Holland, to third slip. Will Young edged Green to first slip, while Vansh Jani started with two sparkling boundaries but then skied one off spinner Patel.
Amongst the action, there was one constant. Yep, Sam Hain. As composed and organised as ever, he eased the Bears in front as they closed on 130-4, with Hain unbeaten on 37 and skipper Barnard, following a flurry of boundaries, on 25*.
It took Hain just 26 minutes to reach his tenth half century of the season on day two, with a cut through backward of square. He’s been a constant in the Bears’ team for 13 years and, much like a full-bodied Bordeaux, he just seems to be getting better with age.
Something else which seemed to be ageing well was the Bears’ innings, with Hain continuing to go smartly about his business and Barnard playing with the freedom of a man not feeling the pressure of trying to lead his side to a County Championship title.
Next, it was the Captain’s turn to reach 50, having played very nicely for it, and the 100 partnership arrived soon after lunch, from 199 deliveries.
Centuries were, in all honesty, there for the taking for both Bears’ stalwarts and the frustration on missing out was there for all to see when Barnard played at a wide one and edged through to Ben Cox. Gone, but a knock of 88 will certainly never be forgotten as part of a key partnership which effectively put Warwickshire in the driving seat for both the match and the title.
With Notts missing out on bonus points and Somerset under the pump at home to Surrey, the title was getting closer and the Bears’ requirements getting smaller and smaller.
Then the inevitable came. Three figures for Mr Samuel Robert Hain. Fittingly, the quick two which got him there also moved the Bears onto 300 and another batting point. That meant that Notts were unable to mathematically win the title and with Somerset staring down the barrel of defeat, the Champagne was on ice.
Wickets tumbled around Hain but cameos from Suthar and Bamber with the willow meant the scoreboard continued to tick over, as the light faded and Hain began to play a few more shots to increase the total. Batting once, again? Quite possibly.
As it transpired, Hain was the last man to fall as the Bears finished all out for 372, a total which looked like an unassailable lead. It became clear, however, that Leicestershire were not going to go down without a fight as Sol Budinger came out firing.
The ever-reliable opening duo of Bamber and Woakes stuck to their task like an actor sticking to their script, apt given Bamber’s bloodline of thespian heritage.
It was Bamber who showed that the Bears’ early toil was Much Ado About Nothing as he made the breakthrough in the seventh over, trapping Gumbs in front before, two balls later, removing Patel’s off stump for a duck.
The 27-year-old’s co-protagonist got in on the act to close the day as Woakes crashed into Stephen Eskinaki’s front pad to leave the visitors 55-3 at the close, and the Bears seven wickets from immortality.
As this writer drove into Edgbaston Stadium on the morning of the third day, Saturday 26 September, there was a somewhat cathartic energy in the air. The lack of rush hour traffic meant the roads were quiet, the trees were showing the first signs of autumn, but the clear skies and glistening sun bouncing off the dew-laden ground felt like the final throngs of summer clinging on for all its might.
Above all, there was a sense that the day which was about to unfold was written in the stars. It felt like the toil of the long, hard, summer was all going to be worth it. For Ed Barnard, for Ian Westwood, for Chris Woakes, for everybody involved with Warwickshire County Cricket Club, today was the kind of day you remember forever.
It took the Wizard just 17 minutes to cast his spell and remove the dangerous Budinger, producing a beauty which clipped the top off middle and off, and the Bears were on their way to the title. Exactly 20 minutes later, it was Woakes again. A full, swinging delivery found the edge of Tattersall’s bat and flew into the hands of Rob Yates.
It was catch No. 39 for the season for the astonishingly safe second slipper. Batters and bowlers grab the headlines, but Yates has muscled in on that conversation in 2026. As well as finishing the year as the Bears’ second-highest run scorer, they quite simply would not have won the title without Yates in the cordon.
Six and seven arrived soon after, with Bamber collecting both, as a party atmosphere built inside Edgbaston. Talking of slip catching, check out the video of Will Young’s grab to dismiss Ben Green – you’ll struggle to find better.
It wouldn’t be right if the captain didn’t get in on the act, would it? Barnard trapped his opposite number, Ian Holland, in front of all three to take the Bears within two, before Suthar made it just one more to go with his first dismissal at Edgbaston.
Despite playing an additional eight overs before lunch, the Bears could not find that final wicket, meaning the Champagne was firmly on ice for the next 40 minutes at least.
With the infamous Edgbaston Stadium food fuelling the Bears’ attack, they returned to the outfield with that impressive duo of Woakes and Bamber taking turns with the leather. Leicestershire managed to muster three runs in three overs before that moment finally came.
Bamber, fittingly, took a deep breath at the Pavillion End, ran in with the usual pace and verve which has become a sight to behold for Bears’ fans, and delivered a ball which pitched on a length and sent Tom Scriven’s off stump spiralling.
Jubilation. Relief. Ecstasy. They’ve done it. For the ninth time in their history, Warwickshire are County Champions.
Fans young and old, Members who have turned out in their droves, players who put in the hard yards in the long, cold English winters, staff who ensured the players had the very best environment to succeed. Everybody played their part.
"It's an incredible feeling. The cricket we have played all season but especially in the last six weeks has been amazing and it has been pretty special to be part of,” skipper Ed Barnard said. Pretty special indeed.
It’s not just a special group of players, but a special club. The ovation the coaching staff and players received when walking up to collect their medals showed how much this means to so many people.
One-by-one they were called out, each receiving the recognition they deserved for their efforts over the course of a near-six-month season, until there was just one man remaining.
Joining Frank Foster, Tom Dollery, Alan Smith, Dermot Reeve, Nick Knight, Jim Troughton, Will Rhodes, the eighth Captain in this Club’s rich history to lift the County Championship title, Ed Barnard. A pretty exclusive list in a club that’s existed for 144 years.
“It feels sensational to be honest,” Westwood said. “It’s pretty special to have put in such a good performance this week under pressure and got the title. It’s amazing.
“This week, it couldn’t have been written any better. A sunny day at Edgbaston, just after lunch, it doesn’t get much better.”
It really doesn’t. Well, I suppose it could. Let’s try and do it all again in 186 days, shall we? Winter well.
_s6bZ9Ri.png?clxf=t_general_medium)
%20(1).png?clxf=t_general_medium)
.png?clxf=t_general_medium)
_Q3P0zzz.png?clxf=t_general_medium)
