Key events
Ed Barnard: you don’t plan to have the perfect game, but we’ve had a few
“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. The bowling is going to get a lot of plaudits and rightly so, Ethan, Woakesey and Olly have been brilliant and Manny has come in and given us just what we need. But we have done really well with the bat as well. We have played on a lot of bowler-friendly pitches this year and scored the runs we needed.
“It’s been very special to see it all come together in the last six weeks. You don’t plan to have the perfect game but we have had two or three of them and it’s been really special.
“Ethan has been incredible. We knew the quality he had when he signed but he has gone up four levels, never mind one level. He works as hard as anybody, I think everyone knows the hours he puts in – this morning he was first out there, bowling – and he is the nicest man in county cricket as well. He has been relentless in his quality and a great addition to the squad but the whole squad has delivered and I am so proud of them.”
He also praised Sam Hain as, “the most underrated cricketer in the country,” as well as his team’s work ethic – that they came in to train on Sundays after they’d notched up the two-day wins.
Happy scenes in the sunshine here at Edgbaston as players mix with fans, and their families, and the champagne flows.
Ethan Bamber, he of 69 wickets, is called the nicest man in cricket by his captain Ed Barnard, and is ridiculously modest when he gets his turn in front of reporters.
“You always wonder, as an average cricketer like me, how high your ceiling is, and in quiet moments I wasn’t sure I quite had it, but here I’ve been given the opportunity and space to express myself on the field. I feel like I have been the beneficiary of a really good group.” He stops to sign a bat, and is given a plastic cup of Champagne as a man dressed as Scooby-Doo sidles up.
“As a group we had a really clear approach – not just our skill but how we carry ourselves, our presence and energy, and when we had tough moments, and there were tough moments, we had something to cling onto.”
Middlesex beat Northants by seven wickets – Kent are promoted!
Luke McLaughlin
Middlesex accelerate to Max Holden’s first victory as captain: Holden (50) and Geddes (59 not out) slapped the ball around towards the end to wrap up a comfortable seven-wicket victory. Geddes has 116 runs in the match, while Kent will be promoted to Division One regardless of the result against Gloucestershire in Canterbury. A strong finish to the season for Middlesex, along with the One Day Cup triumph, but can they knit together a promotion challenge next season?
Now Warwicks are doing a little tour with the trophy, walking past the spectators, who are all gathered into the stands at the Pavillion End. You Bears echoes around the ground as a tired September wasp lands on my notebook.
Chris Woakes gets the loudest cheer, although perhaps that’s now beaten by Ed Barnard, who beckons over the remaining squad members. And there’s the trophy! Warwickshire – thoroughly deserving 2026 champions.
Medals are being handed out by Neil Snowball, the ECB’s MD of competitions and major events, and Warwickshire chair Tracey Orr. First to the coaching staff, then to the players starting with Ethan Bamber (huge roar).
There are so many people here! Huge applause as Warwickshire are led down the Edgbaston steps by captain Ed Barnard.
Luke McLaughlin
Holden (42 not out) and Geddes (26 not out) have calmly steered Middlesex to 86-2 off 32 overs, and a fifth County Championship win of the season beckons. Why the hosts batted so carelessly on the first evening is anyone’s guess – but at least it created a bit of intrigue in ultimately setting up this fourth-innings run chase. A reasonable crowd is lapping up the late-summer sunshine and Middlesex need another 48 to win.
The trophy presentation is being laid out on the grass, I’m heading down there too.
Warwickshire win the title, beating Leicestershire by an innings and 79 runs
Ethan Bamber clinches it! Of course he does. Congratulations Warwickshire! A ninth Championship title, and a fourth this century. The roll call: 1911, 1951, 1972, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2012, 2021 and now 2026.
After a slow burn start to a season that began on April 3, they finished at a canter, five wins in the last six games and four steam-rolling victories in a row, finishing with this innings victory of relegated Leicestershire.
A team performance built on the back of an astonishing season for Ethan Bamber whose 69 wickets make him the leading wicket-taker in Division One, backed up by Ed Barnard (30) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (28), while Sam Hain’s 1048 runs were the backbone of the team and Rob Yates’ astonishing catches at slip the beauty spots.
There’s a huge bouncing team huddle, as the rest of the squad run on to join the playing XI, including Keith Barker. Handshakes for Leicestershire, stumps for the bowlers and the team and supporters applaud each other as the players walk off the field.
Josh Hull somehow survives an over from Chris Woakes who arrows past the bat.
Applause for YOU BEARS as they prowl out for their final post-prandial search for one wicket. Hull and Scriven resume their bear-baiting.
An email lands – with a title of Melancholy. “I’m sitting on the top tier of the Lord’s pavilion, as the lowering sun lights up the lovely ground,” writes Paul McIntyre. “The place is buzzing. The last dregs of the season. Northants not giving up without a fight. Don’t let’s hear any more calls for the Championship season to be curtailed.”
I love the last September days too (though they can be a bit of a lottery).
Time for me to grab some lunch, as hundreds of people wander onto the Edgbaston pitch in the sun. Back shortly.
Warwickshire take lunch needing just one wicket to win the Championship
Well played Scriven and Hull! They must now eat on tenterhoooks and come back out at five past two. Huge applause for the Warwicks team from the ultras.
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 372 v Leicestershire 125 & 167-9
Hull dangles his bat like a fishing rod and Woakes skids one underneath. And another! And we go on.
Chris Woakes replaces Suthar at the City end, and clouds float over Edgbaston. Scriven tries to hook him out of the ground but misses and gets in a tangle with the ball by his boots. This partnership now worth 23.
Suthar it is, with a skip and a twirl. Scriven bats him away: once, thrice, six times. And we’re not having lunch yet.
Bamber gets a handclap to gird his loins as he runs in. The fielders are circling on the spot, just waiting to celebrate.
Now a four for Josh Hull. Ethan Bamber will have another go.
And Scriven cracks Bamber through point into the empty outfield for four. Suthar will continue from the City end.
An lbw appeal against Hull, but the umpire says wait a little longer.
Ed Barnard calls for Ethan Bamber…the leading Division One wicket-taker. In he runs, a tiny accompanying shadow in the Birmingham sunshine.
A shout of “You Bears” echoes across the terraces as we will play on till 1.10 here to give Warwicks a chance to winkle out the last wicket and secure the title.
Warwickshire one wicket away!
What a ball! Into the footmarks, plucks out off stump. Ajaz Patel disappears into the wings for five. Manav Suthar bends and clenches his fist just like, as the radio says, Bruce Forsyth. Leicestershire 142 for nine.
Luke McLaughlin
Having been bowled out for 285 and setting Middlesex 134 for victory, Northants nicked a couple of quick wickets: Harry Conway first had Nathan Fernandes caught in the slips for 3. Sam Robson soon followed, caught behind off Conway, also for 3. He looked baffled to be given out: perhaps the natural shape of the ball down the slope deceived the umpire? Middlesex were thus wobbling at 12 for 2 but Max Holden has batted fluently and sensibly for his 31 not out at lunch. Ben Geddes (8 not out) took quite a while to get off the mark, but an imperious cover drive eventually did the job, and soothed the home supporters’ nerves into the bargain. Middlesex are 45 for two at lunch, needing 89 more.
Lunchtime scores
Division One
Cardiff: Glamorgan 505 v Essex 129 and 37-1
Essex trail by 339 with nine wickets left
Utilita: Hampshire 128 and 26-4 v Sussex 244 & 319-9
Hampshire need 410 with six wickets left
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 251 & 85 v Yorkshire 179 and 30-0
Yorks need 128 lead to win
Taunton: Somerset 353-3 v Surrey 422
Somerset trail by 69 runs with seven wickets left
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 372 v Leicestershire 125 & 141-8
Leicestershire trail by 106 runs with two wickets left – still in play
Division Two
Canterbury: Kent 353 v Gloucestershire 229 & 150-6
Gloucestershire lead Kent by 26 runs with four wickets left
Old Trafford: Lancashire 76-3 v Durham 493
Lancashire trail by 417 runs with seven wickets left
Lord’s: Middlesex 255 and 45-2 v Northamptonshire 103 & 285
Middx need 89 runs with eight wickets left
Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 206 v Derbyshire 88 and 75-6
Derbyshire need 258 to win runs with four wickets left
Marcus Harris joins the Lancashire procession, a second wicket to the Ghafari-Parkinson double act. Lancs 66 for three.
A captain Barnard outswinger means this might be settled by lunch. Holland lbw for 23. Leicestershire 119 for eight.
” Somerset’s slim title hopes fizzled like flat cider in Taunton,” writes Julian Menz.
“I’ve never been to Taunton, and my only connection to Somerset is the Glastonbury festival (hence me being well acquainted with flat cider etc), and foolishly volunteering to carry my one-year-old daughter (who could walk btw. Just lazy 🙂 up the Tor because her mum said it might be ”spiritually good for her”.
“Anyway, I remember watching Somerset at Lord’s with my father as a kid, and him telling me about Botham and Richards. They didn’t win it back then, and, even as a Londoner, I was hoping they’d finally get that monkey off their back this year.”
The script was written so nicely too with the final match against Surrey at Taunton. Still, gives us something to hope for next year.
In the runners-up games:
Yorkshire need 158 to beat Notts, who have folded like a paper napkin in these last two games. Notts all out 85, five for Jack White, four for Ben Coad.
And all power to the Toms at Taunton, where Lammonby has notched up 150 and Abell 101. Somerset 311-3 trail Surrey by 111 which looks like a high-scoring draw.
Blimey Hampshire! They are now three for four chasing 437 against Hampshire. Tom Price three for one. Out with a bang I suppose.
Essex are following on at Sophia Gardens after being bowled out for 129 (Ul Hassan five for 14) and have reached the heady heights of 19 for 0.
Right, to the other matches. In Division Two:
At Old Trafford where I could really do with Lancs lasting all day so I can watch some live cricket tomorrow, a good start has turned in a familiar way. Now 52 for two, Jones run out, Jennings caught off Parkinson.
Things are looking rosy for Kent in the garden of England, Glos 129-4 lead by five. Milnes has three wickets.
But Middlesex are 12-2 in their chase of another 122 at Lord’s, keeping Northants in the promotion race. Both wickets for Harry Conway.
And Ben Allison has four wickets for 11 as Worcestershire look to finish their season with a bang. Derbyshire limp to 37 for four, needing another 296 for victory.
There’s a really good crowd in at the City End, basking in the Birmingham sun. Three slips wait as the umpires examine the ball. But it is given back to OHD.
A hundred for Saif Zaib – Middlesex need 134 to win.
Luke McLaughlin
Middlesex dropped Saif Zaib twice in the 90s, and the 20-odd runs he added afterwards may have given Northamptonshire a sniff of victory. It’s a lovely day for batting though, and the hosts should knock off their target of 134 – but stranger things have happened. The 28-year-old Zaib batted exceptionally well and his family were in the pavilion to see him reach a landmark century at Lord’s.
With an hour gone, let’s have a quick wander around the grounds:
Hold that thought! Bamber grabs another, a spectacular catch by Will Young at third slip, with an outstretched left hand, plucked from the air like a passing feather in the wind. Leicetershire 84 for seven.
Oooof, of all people Olly Hannon-Dalby can’t hold on to a chip from Ben Green which skews up and into the sun and comes down over his shoulder. Holland plays and misses at Woakes next ball.
“Good Morning Tanya, good morning all.” Hello there Em Jackson!
”Well, unless Lancs somehow contrive to score 600 in a day, Durham are going unbeaten for 2026’s campaign.
”Question is, for me, this: Will Stokes and Carse hang around for all of 2027, playing county cricket & having a good stab at thriving, not just surviving in D1 and how will England selectors treat Emilio Gay once the new year rolls around?
”If all are available, all the time, Durham will be dangerous.
”Meanwhile, Glos – my other side (it’s complicated) – are seemingly in need of a wooden spoon for the canteen.”
Whether Stokes will be available is an interesting one, see Matt Hughes’ piece here.
And another! A bouncing Warwicks celebrate as Ben Cox gets an outside edge which is plucked from his nostrils by Sam Hain. Cox out for two. A 67th wicket for Bamber. Leicestershire 74 for six.
“Just call it the Chris Woakes end,” says Ali. A second wicket of the morning for Woakes, who now has three for 31 in the Birmingham sunshine. Tattersall obligingly edges to Rob Yates, another for his record number of slip catches in a 14 season-match. Leicestershire 74 for five.
Have just had a flick through Ali’s new book on Chris Woakes (out October 22). Feels lovely, great pics and lovely intro.
Ali Martin
Budinger was giving Woakes some humpty last night and in the third over today he nipped in and took the top of off stump. Woakes wheeled away, arms out, aeroplane celebration. Leicestershire 69 for four.
Virat Kohli to play his last 50-over World Cup
Virat Kohli, with 54 centuries the leading century-maker in ODIs, has announced that the 2027 World Cup, in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia next October, will be his last.
He has already retired from T20 internationals and Test cricket .
Kohli has 14,941 ODI runs, second only to Sachin Tendulkar and won the World Cup with India at home soil in 2011, but lost to Australia in 2023.
The 2027 competition will be his fifth rodeo and he said it was a tough gig.
“The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it’s about 10 games at a Twenty20 level of intensity,” he said.
“But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament and World Cup is a big deal. Also now, it’s in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you.”
Wow – Ethan Bamber has bowled more overs than anyone else in Div One this year! And 66 wickets in his pocket to count for it. He takes the ball at the press box end.
In answer to the Leicestershire appeal question BTL, we think they have appealed everything but the only points likely to be overturned or semi overturned are eight points, which will make no difference to the relegation battle. If anyone thinks different, do drop me a line.
Huge applause and cheers for Warwickshire who huddle in front of their fans. Chris Woakes stretches and turns.
There are lots of clinks and bangs from the building work for the new Radisson hotel that will be open in time for the Ashes next year. The matching stand should be ready for the start of the Championship season.
Football tennis now for some very jolly Bears, a normal kick around for the Foxes.
“Morning Tanya! “Morning Mes!
“I think all the press box will like this.”
Good to see Douglas Jardine fielding on the boundary.
I sneaked into Lord’s for an hour yesterday evening to see Northants hit some what-ho sixes. I discovered Gary Naylor and some lime cake in the press box, both were a pleasure. The old ground was looking lovely, with a nice scattering of people in to warm their bones with sunshine and cricket for the last time till April.
A great stat from Oscar from The Cricketer: Kent are about to be promoted with the lowest number of wickets to spin in the country.
Warwickshire close on title, Kent lead promotion race
James Wallace
Warwickshire made serene progress towards a ninth county championship title on a cloudy day at Edgbaston. A delay for autumnal mid-morning bad light in Birmingham curtailed their progress briefly in the first session but captain Ed Barnard and Sam Hain were as unbothered by the lingering nimbus as they were Leicestershire’s bowlers.
Barnard fell caught behind for 88 but Hain was the last man out for 142. Ethan Bamber and Chris Woakes struck in fading light to leave Leicestershire 55-3 and still adrift by 192 runs. A third two-day victory in a row was kiboshed by early evening gloom but Saturday will surely see Warwickshire clinch the 2026 trophy.
Somerset’s slim title hopes fizzled like flat cider in Taunton, their failure to take a third bowling bonus point as Surrey amassed 422 meant that Warwickshire can draw and still take the spoils.
Last season’s winners Nottinghamshire reduced Yorkshire to 179 all out in their first innings. Olly Stone sent Jonny Bairstow’s middle stump for the sort of cartwheel Simone Biles would be proud of as he took five wickets at Trent Bridge. However, bad news filtered through in the afternoon that Stone was injured – reportedly a hamstring – and it was serious enough for him to be immediately withdrawn from the match.
Asa Tribe fell short of a double century in Cardiff but his 184 helped Glamorgan amass 505 in their first innings against Essex who then collapsed at the foot of the mountain on 100 for seven. Sussex are well on top of Hampshire at Southampton, Jaydev Unadkat’s five for 32 saw the home side skittled for 128 in response to 244.
In Division Two, a defiant century from Ben Compton at Canterbury kept Kent’s promotion prospects in the balance as they made 353 and then took two Gloucestershire wickets to leave the visitors 63 runs shy.
Fellow promotion chasers Northamptonshire fought back to 249 for seven against Middlesex but a slender lead of 97 runs will need to thicken on the hob if they are to set a challenging chase.
Durham defied some mizzly Manchester weather and Lancashire’s bowlers to post 493 in their first innings. Worcestershire are in control against Derbyshire, where a fourth-innings chase of over 300 already looks out of reach.
Overnight scores
Division One
Cardiff: Glamorgan 505 v Essex 100-7
Essex trail by 405 with three wickets left
Utilita: Hampshire 128 v Sussex 244 & 216-5
Sussex lead by 332 with five wickets left
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 251 & 55-3 v Yorkshire 179
Nottinghamshire lead by 127 runs with seven wickets left
Taunton: Somerset 222-3 v Surrey 422
Somerset trail by 200 runs with seven wickets left
Edgbaston: Warwickshire 372 v Leicestershire 125 & 55-3
Leicestershire trail by 192 runs with seven wickets left
Division Two
Canterbury: Kent 353 v Gloucestershire 229 & 61-2
Gloucestershire trail by 63 runs with eight wickets left
Old Trafford: Lancashire 10-0 v Durham 493
Lancashire trail by 483 runs with 10 wickets left
Lord’s: Middlesex 255 v Northamptonshire 103 & 249-7
Northants lead by 97 with three wickets left
Worcester: Worcestershire 214 & 203-9 v Derbyshire 88
Worcestershire lead by 329 runs with one wicket left
Preamble
Good morning from Edgbaston and welcome to the penultimate day of the season! It’s so crispy with morning cold that the security man is in gloves, but the sun is out and Warwickshire’s players are in the middle. Olly Hannon-Dalby, in mid-calf length socks that make him look as if he’s just raced back from school, is gingerly turning his arm over.
Thanks so much to Jim for covering (gorgeously) the first two days of this final round, I feel like I’m sneaking in during the third act and everyone has already eaten the Maltesers. Warwickshire need just seven wickets this morning to wrap things up and put their paws on the 2026 title. It’s been a long road since April 3, but they’re nearly there.
Play starts at 10.30 am here and around the grounds. Do join us for one final Saturday of cricket.