Warwickshire 'stay in the moment' with Championship title in reach
Warwickshire are 11 points clear at the top of the County Championship going into the final round of matches.
The Bears host Leicestershire at Edgbaston from 24 September with the title in their own hands. Somerset sit second, with Nottinghamshire a further four points back in third. All three contenders finish at home.
First-team coach Ian Westwood says his players plan to "stay in the moment" ahead of the decider, in an interview with BBC Radio WM BBC Sport. It is a simple message for a tense week. Win the game, and the rest takes care of itself.
Warwickshire earned that cushion with a third straight away win. They beat Essex at Chelmsford inside two days, with Zen Malik hitting a second-innings half-century to help captain Sam Hain see the side home. The County Championship is England's four-day, first-class domestic competition, where wins bring 16 points plus extras for runs and wickets, so a fast finish like that matters.
The attack has driven the late surge. Seamer Ethan Bamber has taken 60 Championship wickets this season. Left-arm spinner Manav Suthar has claimed 15 wickets in just three matches since arriving, giving Warwickshire balance on wearing late-season pitches.
The chasers both need help. Somerset face Surrey at Taunton. Nottinghamshire play Yorkshire at Trent Bridge. If Warwickshire beat Leicestershire, neither rival can catch them.
For fans, this means a straight shootout in Birmingham. Warwickshire last won the Championship in the curtailed 2021 season. Westwood knows what a full title fight feels like, having played in the club's 2012 triumph.
There has been disruption along the way. New Zealand Test opener Will Young was unavailable because of a visa issue. The club has moved to pack out the start of the finale, offering free tickets to all fans for day one against Leicestershire Edgbaston.
The final round begins on 24 September ECB. Warwickshire were happy to be "in the hunt" at halfway. Now they are the team to catch.
