Warwickshire made amends for itsfinal-day heartbreak last season by winning its first English countychampionship title since 2004 on Thursday.
The club side of England batsmen Ian Bell and Jonathan Trottand New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel beat Worcestershire by an innings and 202runs at New Road to put Sussex, Warwickshire's nearest challenger, out of reachwith a match to spare.
Twelve months ago, Warwickshire required only seven wicketson the final day of its match against already relegated Hampshire to secure thechampionship, but missed out to allow Lancashire to win its first title in 77years.
"Last year, as much as that hurt, is what's pushed uson," said captain Jim Troughton, moments before lifting the trophy."We made it our responsibility to push on in the winter and to win with agame to spare is amazing."
Warwickshire's run to a fourth title in 18 years — andseventh in all — has been helped by the form of opener Varun Chopra, who hasscored 1,000 championship runs for the second year in succession.
That has boosted his outside hopes of an England call-up forthe upcoming tour of India, with a spot open at the top of the batting line-upfollowing the retirement of Andrew Strauss last week.
Chopra hit 195 in Warwickshire's first innings, after hisside had bowled Worcestershire out for 60 to set up victory. The hosts neededto score 411 in their second innings to make their opponents bat again but wereall out for 209.
Alan Richardson was the last man out for Worcestershire —eight years after playing in Warwickshire's last championship-winning team.
Warwickshire's turnaround in form has been remarkable giventhe team needed to win its last three games of the 2010 season to avoidrelegation to the second tier.
Warwickshire's coach is Ashley Giles, the former Englandspinner who has now won the county championship as a player and a coach.
"They've worked very hard since November last year,when we were looking for the one percent that would just take us that one stepfurther," said Giles, who admitted having sleepless nights recently as hisside closed in on the title.
"It's probably been two years in the making. After thedisappointment of finishing second last year, to win it this year isbrilliant."