Warwickshire 372 (Hain 142, Barnard 88) beat Leicestershire 125 (Bamber 4-42, Woakes 3-20) and 168 (Scriven 49, Budinger 47, Bamber 5-52, Woakes 3-38) by an innings and 79 runs

The triumph was noisily celebrated by a large and jubilant home ground. Big attendances for all three days of this match have underlined the passion and interest that the Rothesay County Championship still holds for spectators. Warwickshire’s players, who took some criticism from the fans after failing to qualify in both of this season’s white-ball competitions, deserve great credit for showing the strength and skills to put in a blistering last six weeks of red-ball cricket

After Leicestershire resumed on the third morning on 55 for three, Bamber and Woakes soon continued the demolition job they had begun in the first innings. The Foxes added just 14 before Budinger, having hit eight fours, had his off stump rattled by an unplayable ball from Woakes.

Another key ingredient of Warwickshire’s success, excellent slip fielding, then came to the fore as the next three wickets were snaffled by the cordon. Jonathan Tattersall edged Woakes to Rob Yates at second, Ben Cox was taken by Sam Hain off Bamber at first and then Ben Green drove hard at Bamber and Will Young, at third, plucked a remarkable one-handed grab out of the air.

From 84 for seven, Ian Holland and Scriven added 35 before the former (23, 55) fell lbw to Ed Barnard. A big turner from Manny Suthar knocked out the off-stump of fellow spinner Ajaz Patel on the stroke of lunch. That triggered a half-hour extension to the morning session to give Warwickshire a chance to finish the job.

Josh Hull, batting like Foxes predecessor David Gower in his prime, accompanied Scriven into the afternoon session but seven balls after the resumption, Bamber knocked out two of Scriven’s stumps and the Bears’ celebrations could begin.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Ed Barnard, Warwickshire’s captain, said. “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 [Hannon-Dalby] 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.”

Bamber’s match figures of 9 for 94 took him to a season’s haul of 69 wickets at 19.39, the most by any bowler in the County Championship. It came in the wake of his transfer from Middlesex at the end of the 2024 season, and Barnard was full of praise for his impact.

“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”