Birmingham has a champion cricket team again.

Warwickshire are the 2026 County Championship winners after thrashing Leicestershire by an innings and 79 runs at Edgbaston on Saturday, 26 September.

It is the Bears' ninth first-class county title, their first since 2021 and their fourth of the 21st century.

The final act came with fitting symmetry, as fast bowler Ethan Bamber knocked back Tom Scriven's stumps to spark celebrations across the ground.

Scriven fell one run short of a hard-earned half-century as Leicestershire were bowled out for 168 in their second innings.

How did Warwickshire win the County Championship?

The title decider was effectively settled on the first two days.

Leicestershire were skittled for 125 in their first innings before Sam Hain's commanding 142 and captain Ed Barnard's 88 carried the hosts to 372.

Needing seven wickets on the final morning, the Bears' attack never let the visitors settle.

Chris Woakes produced a near-unplayable delivery to remove dangerman Sol Budinger for 47 and finished with three wickets in the innings.

Bamber claimed five for 52, giving him nine wickets in the match.

A season that looked unlikely in March

Few would have tipped Warwickshire for glory in the spring.

Alex Davies stepped down as captain just two weeks before the season began, handing the job to one-day skipper Barnard.

The Bears then lost once and won only twice in their first eight Championship matches up to mid-June.

What followed after the summer break was a remarkable surge.

Warwickshire won five of their last six games, three of them by an innings, to overhaul their rivals.

Barnard led from the front with 679 runs and 30 wickets across the campaign.

Ethan Bamber: the country's leading wicket-taker

Bamber finished the season with 69 Championship wickets, more than any other bowler in the country.

Since the competition resumed in August he took 32 wickets at an average under 13, and his captain has described him as the nicest man in county cricket.

The Bears' bowlers collected 41 of a possible 42 bowling bonus points, underlining a relentlessly consistent attack.

His form has prompted a growing debate about whether the former Middlesex seamer deserves a closer look from England's selectors.

What the title means for Birmingham

For a city that loves its sport, a trophy at Edgbaston is a genuine boost.

The ground is one of England's great Test venues, and a Championship pennant flying over it strengthens the club's pull for young players, members and sponsors alike.

For Leicestershire, the defeat compounds a painful season, with the Foxes facing relegation while they appeal against a points penalty.

For Warwickshire supporters, the story is simple: the Bears are back on top of English county cricket.

Image: Photo by Patrick Case on Pexels (illustrative).