Olly Hannon-Dalby, a 6ft 7in medium-fast bowler, emerged from training at Edgbaston as Warwickshire prepared for the final round of the County Championship season. The team stands 11 points clear at the top of Division One, needing victory over Leicestershire to secure their first title in a decade. A draw with six bonus points would also be sufficient to claim the crown.
Hannon-Dalby reflected on the qualities that have propelled Warwickshire from a sluggish start into contention.
Our bowling has massive depth,he explained.
Ethan Bamber has had an outstanding year with 60 wickets, and then Chris Woakes has been around the majority of the season. To be able to throw an English legend the ball every now and then is unbelievable – and his demeanour when he plays, how he carries himself is amazing. In fact our depth in general is great, everyone has played and contributed.
The transformation has been striking. After winning only two of their opening eight matches, Warwickshire have captured four victories from their last five contests. Their recent triumphs over Essex and Glamorgan were both completed in two days, demonstrating the potency of their bowling attack. According to Edgbaston's match preview, Warwickshire's record stands at 6 wins, 1 loss and 6 draws from 13 matches, accumulating 203 points.
Somerset's collapse at Headingley last week proved decisive in reshaping the title race. The Somerset side, which had held the lead before the penultimate round, faltered when it mattered most, allowing Warwickshire to surge ahead. Nottinghamshire, the 2025 champions, have also fallen out of contention.
How has Hannon-Dalby contributed to the push?
The bowler has been instrumental in Warwickshire's resurgence despite an unconventional start to the season. After spending his first four matches on loan to Worcestershire, Hannon-Dalby returned to Edgbaston and has since topped the club's bowling averages with 27 wickets at an average of 18.
I'd never been on loan before. It wasn't the way I would have designed my season but we have a really strong bowling attack and my opportunities were limited. To be able to get some overs in my legs in those early weeks of the season was brilliant and I'm really grateful to Worcestershire for taking me.
He continued:
I could have stayed at Edgbaston and played for the second team but it is different to championship cricket. To know that I was playing, bowling well, contributing for Worcestershire, meant I was ready to hit the ground running.When Warwickshire recalled him, he delivered immediately, becoming a key figure in their title push.
What is Warwickshire's recent championship history?
Warwickshire last won the County Championship in 2021, a season disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. That campaign culminated in victory in the Bob Willis Trophy at Lord's, a match that extended into early October. Hannon-Dalby was sidelined through injury during the latter stages of that season, confined to supporting his teammates from the dressing room.
This time around is very exciting from a personal point of view, to be fully involved,he said, reflecting on the contrast between then and now. The prospect of claiming another title holds particular significance for a player who has endured the frustration of watching from the sidelines.
What does Hannon-Dalby say about the final challenge?
Hannon-Dalby acknowledged the mental and physical demands of reaching this stage of the season.
When this last batch of games started five weeks ago, we just wanted to give ourselves the chance to be in the hunt, and now we have destiny in our hands going into the last game.He outlined the straightforward path to glory:
We've just got to bat and bowl and field well and if we can do all those things, well, hopefully … also, everyone is fit for the last game of the season, I've certainly been involved in campaigns when there are only one or two fit bowlers still standing.
On the physical toll of 12 matches across the summer, Hannon-Dalby noted that fatigue is manageable at this stage.
The season is hard, it has ebbs and flows, but by this time of year you are used to the workloads and we've helped ourselves by shovelling a few four-day games into two-day games and manufacturing more rest for ourselves. When you get to this stage you are in the groove a bit.
Does Hannon-Dalby have experience of final-day drama?
He does, though the memory is bittersweet. On the final day of the 2022 season, Hannon-Dalby was bowling at the other end when teammate Liam Norwell took nine for 63 to demolish Hampshire and save Warwickshire from relegation.
At the end there was absolute elation but the day itself was horrific, the feeling that you were going to get relegated the entire time. The last couple of hours were pandemonium – I wouldn't want to do that again.
That experience provides perspective on what awaits this week. While the stakes are different—a title rather than survival—the intensity will be equally high.
What does Hannon-Dalby's career trajectory reveal?
After taking 50 championship wickets in each of 2022, 2023 and 2024, followed by a productive 2026 season, Hannon-Dalby signed a new three-year contract this summer that will keep him at Warwickshire into his 40s.
A brilliant club that have been very kind to me,he said of the Bears.
His longevity in the game has given him perspective on cricket's evolution.
Cricket has changed a little bit, there are lots of offshoots, and the franchise world of course. But on a day-to-day basis, the measure of you as a cricketer is either Test cricket if you can play it, or otherwise the County Championship. To do well in county cricket is incredibly satisfying, and being able to win the championship is a great marker in your career. It says a lot that the great Chris Woakes could have sailed off into the sunset, but he has stayed for weeks like this.
What happens next?
According to Edgbaston's fixture details, Warwickshire face Leicestershire at home starting on Thursday 24 September, with play beginning at 10:30am. According to Sky Sports, Warwickshire need 14 points to guarantee the Division One title; a win would secure it outright, while a draw could still be enough if they accumulate six bonus points. The 2026 County Championship season concludes on 27 September, meaning the title race will be decided by the end of this final fixture.
By Sunday, the identity of the 2026 County Championship winners will be known.
