Essex Men's Rothesay County Championship campaign continues this weekend with a trip to Birmingham to face Warwickshire Men at Edgbaston.
Chris Silverwood’s side travel to the Midlands to face Warwickshire, who sit seventh in Division One, while Essex are in fourth place, five points above the Bears and nine points off the top. The group will be looking to bounce back following the defeat to Somerset in the last round at the Ambassador Cruise Line Ground.
Chris Silverwood has named a 14-player squad for the trip to Birmingham, which includes Charlie Bennett and the return of Club Captain Tom Westley.
Captain: Ed Barnard
Head Coach: Ian Westwood
2025 finish: 5th
2025 leading run-scorer: Ed Barnard (922)
2025 leading wicket-taker: Ethan Bamber (43)
Championship titles: 8 (most recent in 2021)
Key winter moves: Warwickshire have acted decisively to strengthen a senior seam-bowling department which has leaned far too heavily on the excellent Olly Hannon-Dalby for too long. Jordan Thompson has arrived from Yorkshire, Nathan Gilchrist from Kent and Keith Barker is back from Hampshire. With Chris Woakes having retired from international cricket, the pace attack has an appealing depth, allowing for rotation to help keep all its members fit.
What we're looking forward to seeing: The Edgbaston faithful are looking forward to seeing Chris Woakes back in the Bears fold – the all-rounder has played just 12 Rothesay County Championship matches in the last nine seasons. Woakes’ appetite for the game remains high and he is hungry to make a big contribution to his beloved county. Seeing Woakes and Barker running in will evoke memories of 2012 glory!
Aiming to catch selectors' eyes: Ed Barnard – the all-rounder has hugely impressed in all departments since moving across from Worcestershire and more of the same must surely be rewarded with a call-up. He was also appointed captain just before the start of the season.
Final thoughts: Warwickshire’s squad enters the 2026 season in better shape than for several years. After all the recent transition, fifth in the Championship in 2025 was a decent effort in Ian Westwood’s first year as head coach. With some stability and experience in the ranks, and the transformed seam attack, his second could bring a serious challenge for honours.
Warwickshire squad: TBC
Essex secured their Division One status as rain and heavy winds ruined their final-round clash with Warwickshire at Edgbaston, leaving three of the four scheduled days unplayable.
Despite the washout, Essex earned ten points from the draw, ensuring safety and keeping them well clear of the relegation zone. With Yorkshire and Durham facing off in the final round, only a highly unlikely combination of results and bonus points could have dragged Essex into danger alongside Worcestershire.
In the brief window of play, Essex batted 104 overs, losing just five wickets. Contributions came from Charlie Allison (98), Michael Pepper (54), Dean Elgar (48), and Matt Critchley (47), demonstrating their dominance even in limited action.
The match was a soggy anticlimax for Warwickshire, whose home season ended in frustrating conditions. High winds prevented play on the opening day, rain washed out the third day, and persistent drizzle overnight and on the fourth morning left the pitch unplayable. Consequently, Essex were unable to resume from the 325-5 they had amassed on the second day, and the match concluded as a drawn fixture, confirming Essex’s safety in Division One.
Click here for Part One.
Click here for Part Two.
If you are unable to attend any of the matchdays, the game will be available to watch via the Essex Cricket YouTube livestream. Alternatively, you can keep up to date with the game via our social media channels as we provide live updates.
Follow our Social Channels:
X: /@EssexCricket
Facebook: /Essex County Cricket Club
Instagram: /@EssexCricket
Daily highlights will be available after each day's play via the Club website and social media.
Tickets for the match are available to purchase on Warwickshire's website by clicking here.
