Commuter Ed Barnard looking for fast lane to Warwickshire's success

The all-rounder spent Tuesday morning at Edgbaston, his new office, expressing excitement for his first season with Warwickshire, which begins today in Taunton as the Bears start their County Championship campaign at Somerset.

It follows Shrewsbury-born Barnard’s winter move across the Midlands from Worcestershire, the club with whom he had spent 15 years after first joining aged 12, in the city he still calls home.

“New Road is a five-minute walk from where I live, so it is a bit of a change,” he smiles. “They always seem to be doing something on the M5!

“But it is exciting and this is a great place to be. Just looking around the stadium, it is amazing and I can’t wait to play here consistently.”

Leaving Worcestershire was no easy decision but one Barnard, who has previously played for England Lions and still harbours hope of one day earning international recognition, felt he had to make.

Speaking to the Express & Star shortly after the deal was announced last July, he made clear his ambition of proving himself in Division One of the County Championship.

The worry heading into the final day of last season was his new club would be spending 2023 – or possibly longer if Andrew Strauss had his way - alongside the Pears in Division Two after a campaign which had fallen some way below expectation.

That led to a rather surreal experience for Barnard, who was sat among his soon-to-be-former Worcestershire team-mates as he watched Liam Norwell take 9-62 to beat Hampshire and bring the Bears back from the brink.

“The last day, we got washed out at Worcester and so we were in the changing room,” explains Barnard.

“Once Hampshire were six or seven down I got it on the live stream. There was a bit of a celebration when Liam got that last wicket.

“I didn’t know Liam personally then but obviously, I’d played against him a bit. I found him on social media and sent him a couple of messages – though I expect he got a few thousand after that day.

“Of course, there was a bit of stick flying around the Worcester dressing room but it was all good natured and the lads were really supportive of the decision I’d made. That last day was a bit surreal but it had a good ending.”

The challenge for Barnard and the Bears is to ensure they spend this season at the top end of the division and in that regard, the 27-year-old has a significant role to play.

Warwickshire suffered for their lack of a genuine all-rounder last year and Barnard, who has taken 261 first-class wickets at an average under 30 and scored 3,753 runs at an average of nearly 35, appears the ideal man to fill the gap.

With the Bears having focused the rest of their winter recruitment on the bowling attack, bringing in veteran Chris Rushworth and Pakistan international Hasan Ali, his most important work may come with the bat, with which he averaged nearly 60 in Division Two last year. He is expected to start the season at No.6 for his new club.

“I put a lot of hard work into my batting, with lots of practice over the last three winters,” explained Barnard.

“There was a real concentration on a little bit of technical stuff but also my mindset.

“Batting higher up the order was really good for me, getting that chance halfway through 2021. I’ve had more time to build those bigger scores.

“Confidence is huge. It was a bit of a monkey off the back getting that first 100 and to get it in the first game of the season a couple of years ago really set me up well for that year. I don’t think you can underestimate what confidence does. Hopefully, I can continue that here.

“I want to be a genuine all-rounder. I want to score as many runs and take as many wickets as I can. The last couple of years have gone really well with the bat but I want to contribute with both.”

While the focus of the season’s first month is very much on the red ball, Barnard is also hoping to make an impact in the Bears limited overs teams.

He was part of the Worcestershire side which won the T20 Blast title at Edgbaston in 2018.

He said: “Some of my earliest cricketing memories are coming here to watch internationals, so I’ve always loved Edgbaston.

“I’ve played in derby games and finals day and experienced what it can offer. Even the T20 here last year, I was on the other side of it with Worcester but the atmosphere was incredible. It is something you don’t get to play in that often as a domestic player.

“I know what I can bring to this team and what I hope to bring to the team. I think there is a great opportunity for me and the club and that is why I made the decision to come here.”