Warwickshire crowned county champions for a ninth time at Edgbaston

It has been a summer to treasure at Edgbaston. Warwickshire County Cricket Club are county champions once again, winning the 2026 County Championship to claim the ninth title in their history.

The season began with fresh leadership, as Ian Westwood was named first-team coach and Ed Barnard took on the captaincy. Their side proved remarkably hard to beat, finishing Division One with seven wins, six draws and just one defeat from 14 matches. Warwickshire ended on 225 points, 20 clear of runners-up Somerset.

There were standout performances all summer. Seamer Ethan Bamber was the leading wicket-taker in the competition with 69 wickets. Barnard led from the front with 165 against Nottinghamshire in April, Sam Hain made an unbeaten 164 against Yorkshire in May, and England star Chris Woakes chipped in with spells such as 4-36 against Sussex in August.

The champions signed off in style at Edgbaston in late September, scoring 372 and then bowling Leicestershire out for 125 and 168 to win by an innings and 79 runs.

It is a fitting addition to a proud history. The club was founded at a meeting in Leamington Spa on 8 April 1882, became first-class in 1894 and has played in the County Championship since 1895. Its previous championship titles came in 1911, 1951, 1972, 1994, 1995, 2004, 2012 and 2021. The 2021 side also lifted the Bob Willis Trophy, and the club, playing T20 cricket as the Birmingham Bears, won the T20 Blast in 2014.

Home is Edgbaston, the famous ground in the heart of Birmingham, which holds around 25,000 spectators and regularly hosts Test and one-day international matches as well as county cricket and The Hundred.

For local cricket lovers, a championship pennant at Edgbaston is a reminder of what a special sporting institution the city has on its doorstep. With the title secured, attention now turns to defending it next summer.

Fixtures, tickets and membership details are available on the Edgbaston website.