Leicestershire relegated by Warwickshire, subject to points appeal

Rothesay County Championship, Division One, Edgbaston (day one)

Leicestershire 125: Cox 33; Bamber 4-42, Woakes 3-20

Warwickshire 130-4: Hain 37*; Holland 2-29

Warwickshire (3 pts) lead Leicestershire (1 pt) by five runs

Match scorecard

Warwickshire's march towards a ninth County Championship title continued apace at Edgbaston as relegation-bound Leicestershire became the latest to be crushed by the Bears' irrepressible bowling attack.

The visitors chose to bat in a bid to earn batting points essential to their survival hopes - but that plan went spectacularly pear-shaped as they succumbed for 125 to effectively confirm their demotion, subject to appeal.

Only Ben Cox (33) and Sol Budinger (27) resisted for long against a bang-in-form attack led by Ethan Bamber (4-42) and Chris Woakes (3-20).

The hosts then reached 130-4 by the close, with Sam Hain on 37, within reach of 1,000 runs for the season.

Leicestershire's strange decision to bat first suited Warwickshire's plan perfectly and their rampant attack - who had bowled out the opposition for less than 200 seven times out of nine - maintained that streak.

They took two wickets in the first two overs as Sheridon Gumbs played inside Bamber's fourth ball which hit off-stump and Rishi Patel offered no shot to be LBW to Woakes, who then Steve Eskinazi caught at point.

With the Foxes 15-3, overseas linchpin Nick Kelly having returned home injured and Hamza Shaikh unable to play against the club from which he is still technically on loan, Leicestershire were in disarray.

They never recovered as Jonny Tattersall and Budinger and fell to successive deliveries.

Tattersall became Olly Hannon-Dalby's 370th first-class wicket for Warwickshire before Budinger edged the next ball, from skipper Ed Barnard, to second slip.

Former Worcestershire keeper Ben Cox, a T20 Finals Day winner on this ground eight years ago, and skipper Ian Holland dug in either side of lunch.

But Bamber struck twice more as Holland edged to third slip and Ben Green nicked to first.

A perfect outswinger from Woakes ended Cox's diligent innings, Ajaz Patel dragged on a pull at Bamber and Josh Hull then offered a simple return catch.

Warwickshire's reply started badly when Rob Yates played on to Holland's seventh ball.

Dan Mousley struck four quick fours to get the innings going but then changed his bat and edged the next ball, from Holland, to third slip.

Will Young edged Green to first slip and Vansh Jani started with two sparkling boundaries but then skied a mow at spinner Patel, but Hain once again delivered the vital central role.

As composed and organised as ever, accompanied by a flurry of boundaries from Barnard, it was a five off the helmet that eased the Bears in front just before the close.