Warwickshire County Cricket Club in 1994 achieved the unprecedented feat of winning three trophies in an English domestic season. The treble included titles in the County Championship, Sunday League and Benson & Hedges Cup while the grand slam was narrowly missed as they lost to Worcestershire in the final of the Natwest Trophy. Wisden described it as the 'most remarkable season by any side in the history of county cricket'.
Warwickshire, captained by Dermot Reeve and coached by Bob Woolmer, won the County Championship by 42 points from second placed Leicestershire, the largest winning margin since 1979. During the 17 match season Warwickshire won eleven and lost just once, with the remainder draws. The solitary defeat came at home against Nottinghamshire when they lost by an innings. In one-day competitions they won 21 of their 26 matches.
The signing of Brian Lara as overseas player played a key role in the success, arriving days after recording a Test record innings of 375 he began the season with six centuries in seven innings which culminated against Durham County Cricket Club when he scored a first-class record 501 not out. He finished the season with nine centuries and a total of 2,066 runs at an average of 89.82, topping both run scoring and average lists for the season. His one-day performances paled in comparison, he scored 634 runs at 28.81 with a best of 81.
Background
In the 1993 season Warwickshire finished the County Championship in 16th position amongst the 18 counties. Two batsmen, Andy Moles and Dominic Ostler passed 1,000 runs while only Neil Smith, with 44, took more than 30 wickets. In one-day competitions they finished 10th in the National League, were knocked out of the first round of the Benson and Hedges Cup, and won the Natwest Trophy. They beat Sussex by five wickets in the Lord's final, chasing down 322 with Asif Din scoring a century and Dermot Reeve finishing unbeaten on 81.
The main pre-season interest surrounded which overseas player the county would sign. South African fast bowler Allan Donald had been at the club since 1987 but with South Africa touring England in 1994, the first time since re-admission, he would be unavailable for much of the season. The initial target was Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar but he failed a fitness test on 6 April because of an ankle injury. The second choice was West Indian batsman Brian Lara and he signed a contract just two days later. Lara was playing in the Caribbean against England at the time and during the fifth Test of the series he scored 375, breaking the Test record for highest individual score.
The other significant signing in the close season was left arm spinner Richard Davis from Kent. Despite the acquisitions the club were not expected to mount a Championship challenge and were 25/1 to win the title. Warwickshire's coach for the season was Bob Woolmer who had joined the club in 1991 on a three-year contract. England all-rounder Dermot Reeve was captain for a second season.
Squad Name Birth date Batting Style Bowling Style Notes Batsmen Asif Din Right-handed Right arm leg spin Warwickshire cap - 1987 Brian Lara Left-handed Right arm leg spin Overseas player, Warwickshire cap - 1994 Andy Moles Right-handed Right arm medium pace Warwickshire cap - 1987 Charles Mulraine Left-handed Slow left arm orthodox Dominic Ostler Right-handed Right arm medium pace Warwickshire cap - 1991 Trevor Penney Right-handed Right arm medium pace, leg spin Warwickshire cap - 1994 Mike Powell Right-handed Right arm medium pace Jason Ratcliffe Right-handed Right arm medium pace Roger Twose Left-handed Right arm medium pace Warwickshire cap - 1992 Wasim Khan Left-handed Right arm leg spin All-rounders Dougie Brown Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Dermot Reeve Right-handed Right arm medium pace Club captain, Warwickshire cap - 1989 Neil Smith Right-handed Right arm off spin Warwickshire cap - 1993 Paul Smith Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Warwickshire cap - 1986 Graeme Welch Right-handed Right arm medium pace Wicket-keepers Mike Burns Right-handed Right arm medium pace Tony Frost Right-handed — Keith Piper Right-handed — Warwickshire cap - 1992 Bowlers Darren Altree Right-handed Left arm fast-medium Michael Bell Right-handed Left arm medium-fast Richard Davis Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox Warwickshire cap - 1994 Ashley Giles Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox Tim Munton Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Warwickshire cap - 1989 Gladstone Small Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Warwickshire cap - 1982 Bold indicates an international player. The ages are correct for the start of the season (28 April 1994).
County Championship
Results
Test record holder Brian Lara's county debut meant increased media presence for the first game of the season. The crowd was left disappointed on the first day as Glamorgan won the toss and chose to bat. The scoring rate on the first day was slow apart from Bermudian David Hemp who scored a maiden first-class century. In response to Glamorgan's 365 Warwickshire scored a total of 657/7 declared which equalled the county record for highest innings. The total was built on a career-best innings from opener Roger Twose, his score of 277 not out also was the second highest by a Warwickshire player. Twose had endured a poor 1993, scoring 224 runs in 11 matches, and surpassed that season's total in his dogged and determined innings which lasted more than ten hours. He shared a 215-run second wicket partnership with Lara, who scored 147 from 160 balls becoming the seventh Warwickshire player to score a hundred on debut. Needing to bat for longer than a day to draw the match Glamorgan lost two early wickets before the close of the third day. They were bowled out mid-afternoon on the final day with Gladstone Small claiming his first five wicket haul since 1990. Richard Davis, on his county debut, took three wickets.
Rain and bad light allowed only 14 balls to be delivered on the first day with Leicestershire, put in, remaining unscathed. On the second day opener and captain Nigel Briers scored his 27th century and first since his return from rupturing an Achilles tendon. He shared a partnership of 108 in 27 overs with Ben Smith (78). Leicestershire batted onto the third morning with Warwickshire's bowlers being too wayward to exploit the helpful conditions. Brian Lara continued his good form by scoring a third consecutive century but Warwickshire were only able to save the follow-on by one run. Roger Twose, with 51, was the only other player to pass 18 as the hosts collapsed from 201/2 to 254, all eight wickets falling to former Warwickshire spinner Adrian Pierson. On the final day Leicestershire batted on until 35 minutes after lunch before declaring to leave Warwickshire a target of 285 from 57 overs. They survived with three wickets remaining but owed a great deal to Lara who was the only person to pass 20, his score of 120 not out made him the first Warwickshire batsman in 10 years to score hundreds in both innings of a match.
After winning the toss and batting first Somerset closed the first day on 255/5, the highest scorer being opener Mark Lathwell who made 86 in nearly four hours. Following his dismissal captain Andy Hayhurst and wicket-keeper Robert Turner shared a fifth wicket stand of 100 which was ended shortly before the close. Hayhurst completed a slow-paced century on the second day, before afternoon showers led to the hosts’ declaration. The wickets were shared amongst the Warwickshire bowlers but Richard Davis did take five catches, one short of a county fielding record. Warwickshire closed on 57 without loss. The third day witnessed no play because of rain so to generate a result both teams declared early on the final day leaving Warwickshire a fourth innings target of 321 from 95 overs. They were well placed on 87/1 at lunch but rain returned to wash out the afternoon session leaving the visitors 33 overs to score the 234 more needed to win. Brian Lara set about the unlikely chase by sharing partnerships of 74 in 9 overs with Paul Smith and then 126 in 14 overs with Asif Din. Lara reached his century, his fifth in consecutive innings, off 72 balls and was dismissed for 136 off 94. Warwickshire completed the victory with 20 balls remaining.
The pre-match interest surrounded Brian Lara and his attempt to equal the first-class record of scoring six centuries in consecutive innings. After rain wiped out the first day Lara soon found himself in the middle as Middlesex chose to field first and Warwickshire lost an early wicket. He made 26 before edging a leg side delivery from Richard Johnson through to the wicket-keeper. The visitors were all out for 211, with no batsman passing fifty. Desmond Haynes was dismissed off the first ball of the reply but Middlesex lost no further wickets in the remainder of the day. Mike Roseberry and Mike Gatting, not out overnight, shared 77 for the second wicket before the latter was dismissed for 52. Roseberry also shared 79 with Mark Ramprakash (37) before going on to complete a 17th first-class century. He was ninth out as the middle and lower order offered little resistance and Middlesex's lead was restricted to 38. The deficit was turned into a lead by the close with Lara scoring a 52-ball half-century. He completed a sixth century in seven innings on the final morning, adding 85 from 84 balls, that quick scoring enabled a declaration leaving Middlesex a target of 269 from 50 overs. They began well, reaching 129/1 before Tim Munton took the wickets of Gatting and Ramprakash in consecutive deliveries followed by Roseberry in his next over. The chase continued but another double strike from Munton left Middlesex to settle for the draw.
Durham won the toss and on an easy paced pitch chose to bat first. After both openers were dismissed inside the first 75 minutes, number three John Morris shared century partnerships with Stewart Hutton (61) and Phil Bainbridge (67). Morris was dismissed early on the second day but his innings of 204 was the highest by a Durham player at the time, it was also his first century for Durham since moving from Derbyshire. An eighth wicket stand of 134 between Anderson Cummins (62) and David Graveney (65*) boosted the total before a mid-afternoon declaration. The early wicket of Dominic Ostler brought Brian Lara to the crease, dropped on 18 by wicket-keeper Chris Scott at the close Lara was 111 not out and had become the first player to score seven centuries in eight innings. The third day of the match was rained off and with the captains unable to agree on a target, Lara had free rein to bat on. He took the opportunity by scoring 174 runs in the pre-lunch session, in the afternoon he added a further 133 and in the process beat the previous best by a Warwickshire player (305* by Frank Foster) and passed 1,000 runs for the season in only his seventh innings. After tea he passed Archie MacLaren's 424, the highest score in England, and progressed to 497 by the time of the final over. Still two runs short of the first-class record, Lara was made aware it was the last over of the match by batting partner Keith Piper after the fourth ball, the next delivery was driven for four to break the record. Lara's innings took 427 balls and lasted less than eight hours. He broke the records for most boundaries in an innings (72) and most runs in a single day (390). Trevor Penney contributed just 44 to a third wicket partnership of 314 with Lara while the unbeaten fifth wicket partnership between Lara and Piper was worth 322. The team total of 810/4 bettered the county record by over 150 runs.