Lone defiance of Denly can’t deny champions

Resuming on 304-4 in their second innings with Denly unbeaten on 119, the MCC harboured hopes of holding out for an unlikely draw on the fourth and final day despite following on after being dismissed for a paltry 130 first time around.

Peter Trego continued where he had left off by adding 30 more runs to his overnight total of 57 before he was caught by Varun Chopra off the bowling of Oliver Hannon-Dalby for 87.

That wicket reduced MCC to 350-5 and when Ned Eckersley departed having added just one more run to that total their hopes of holding out for the draw began to look bleak.

After James Middlebrook succumbed to the bowling of Rikki Clarke for 17, Denly’s heroic effort finally came to a close when he was also bowled by Clarke after an innings of 243 balls including 17 fours.

Warwickshire’s victory was complete when Simon Kerrigan was the last MCC wicket to fall on 20 to the bowling of Chris Wright, who finished with figures of 3-75 off 19.5 overs.