Bamber 'feels part of something important' at Warwickshire

Bamber took career-best figures of 9-91 for Middlesex against Warwickshire at Edgbaston in July 2023

Warwickshire seamer Ethan Bamber says he feels "part of something important" since his move to Edgbaston at the start of the season.

The 26-year-old agreed a three-year contract midway through last summer to join the Bears from 2025 and he has enjoyed a impressively consistent debut campaign at Edgbaston.

With one more red-ball game to come after the current match against Essex, Bamber has taken 40 wickets in the first division of the County Championship - comfortably the most for the Bears and the sixth best in the top flight.

He has also done plenty of hard graft, getting through more than 440 overs - the most for a fast bowler in the championship so far.

"There are definitely things I would've liked to have done better - periods where I could've bowled better," Bamber told BBC Radio WM.

"But I feel very grateful for the trust that's been put in me by Westy [first-team coach Ian Westwood] and Davo [captain Alex Davies] and I hope they feel that I've repaid that in some way."

Bamber, who took 188 wickets in six seasons with Middlesex, picked up his first five-wicket haul for Warwickshire in his fourth game against Yorkshire and finished that match with figures of 9-107 - the second best match-return of his career.

Currently Worcestershire's Tom Taylor (49), Hampshire's Kyle Abbott (48), Somerset spinner Jack Leach (44), Yorkshire's George Hill (42) and Essex's Jamie Porter (42) are ahead of Bamber on the wicket-taking list and he has his sights on overtaking as many of them as he can.

"There's definitely areas I want to improve and, with a game and a half left, I'd like to finish with more wickets," Bamber said.

"But I want them [Warwickshire] to reflect and remember they had someone who was reliable, committed and who wanted the ball."

'It gives you energy this place'

Having made his first-class debut for Middlesex in August 2018, Bamber's move to the West Midlands ended his six-year stay with the county, only interrupted by a short loan move to Gloucestershire in 2019.

As big a decision as moving to Edgbaston was, Bamber said he knew fairly early it was the right thing to do.

"I had a sense when I came here in June last year what a place it was as a club," he added.

"What I didn't understand was probably what the group of lads were like - I've been welcomed in so thoroughly.

"I really enjoy coming in and seeing it. It gives you energy this place and I feel other people would say the same.

"I feel very pleased I made the decision [to come] and feel very fortunate to be here.

"You're playing for great people at a great club and you want to put as much in as you can. You feel part of something important here."