Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood says he is pleased to be “in the hunt” for the County Championship title at the halfway stage of the season.

The Bears are fourth in Division One, only five points behind leaders Essex, after two wins, four draws and one defeat in their seven matches so far.

In a congested table, nine points separate Essex from defending champions Nottinghamshire in fifth, with eighth-placed Glamorgan only four points further back and 18 off the top.

“It’s really tight and I’ve said all along that it’s a really, really tough league,” Westwood told BBC Radio WM.

“There’s some excellent teams who, on their day or any given match, if they get ahead in the game, can make it really difficult for you. So you can’t take anything for granted.

“There’s some teams playing well and winning games but we just want to be in the hunt so I think it’s important for us to keep that momentum going.”