Shropshire's Ed Barnard ends 15 year Worcestershire career for Warwickshire move

The 26-year-old, who made his debut as a teenager back in 2015, was offered a new contract by the Pears but has turned it down to make the move.

He will remain with Worcestershire for the remainder of the season - to complete their County Championship and Royal London Cup campaign.

In a statement, Barnard said: “I will be forever thankful to everyone involved with Worcestershire from back in my academy time to the present day.

“I’ve been very fortunate to have had the opportunities to represent this terrific Club and develop into the cricketer I am today.

“I will always cherish the friendships and special memories made on and off the cricket pitch.”

One of many academy products to break through for the Pears, Barnard has been a first team regular for seven years, making more than 200 appearances and scoring 4,000 runs while taking over 300 wickets in all formats.

He played a key role in the 2017 County Championship Division Two title winning side - and the team that won the T20 Blast in 2018.

Head coach Alex Gidman added: “It’s obviously disappointing for our Club, but we wish Ed well for the future.

“He has made significant progress in the last few years at Worcestershire and has become an integral part of our team in all formats.

“Ed wants to finish the season very well with us, and we look forward to enjoying our last few months with him before he moves on.”

And Worcestershire Cricket Steering Group Chairman Paul Pridgeon, who first worked with Barnard as a 12-year-old at Shrewsbury School, added: “We’re very disappointed that Ed has chosen to go and play his cricket elsewhere.

“I have worked with Ed for a long time and seen him develop as a cricketer.

“As a Club through our academy, we work hard to help local players get the best out of their ability and are extremely proud of our record in producing first class cricketers.”