Warwickshire won their first County Championship title since 2004 on Thursday after cruising to victory over Worcestershire at New Road. The Bears crushed Worcestershire by an innings and 202 runs to end their eight-year wait to be crowned English champions.
Having bowled out the First Division's bottom club for just 60 on the opening day, Warwickshire pressed home their advantage with a first innings total of 471 for eight declared before Worcestershire reached 100 for two at the close of play in their second innings on Wednesday. Worcestershire's hopes of derailing their local rivals' title charge were quickly dashed as Warwickshire claimed the eight wickets required to wrap up victory shortly after lunch.
Only Moeen Ali's unbeaten 72 provided any resistance to Warwickshire's march towards the title. Chris Wright finished as the pick of the Warwickshire attack in the second innings, finishing with figures of four for 65, including all three wickets after lunch. After being pipped to the title by Lancashire on the final day of last season, this was a sweet moment of redemption for captain Jim Troughton's side.
Troughton revealed the plan at the start of the season was to wrap up the title with a game to spare to avoid any repeat of last year's heartbreak, and they just that to secure the championship for the fourth time in 18 years. "It's fantastic. Last year, as much as that hurt, it's what pushed us this year," Troughton told Sky Sports News. "From that moment down at the Rose Bowl, when we didn't get those wickets and we felt completely gutted, we made it our responsibility to push on in the winter and make sure we came back and win it with a game to spare.
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