By Martin Gough

Take a cerebral former headmaster as coach and a veteran of 100 one-day internationals as captain.

Warwickshire's batting has been the key to their success

Add in the most exciting group of young batsmen seen in England for years and simmer as you see an average first innings score of 447.

Complete with some solid - if unspectacular - seam bowling and you have a recipe for Warwickshire's first County Championship title since 1995.

"It's like making a cake," says chief executive Dennis Amiss. "All the ingredients have come together."

The final mixing saw director of cricket John Inverarity combined with Nick Knight, in his first full season as captain after retiring from international cricket.

"They form a tremendous partnership and have the greatest of respect for each other," Amiss told BBC Sport.

"We were lucky to have someone of Nick's ability and experience back with us."

Knight overcame a broken bone in his hand to hit 1157 runs with two games still to play, with an average of 64.27.

We were unsuccessful last year because we didn't have big enough totals Dennis Amis

Old Trafford was supposed to be the venue for cork-popping this September, with Lancashire widely-tipped as pre-season favourites.

But instead the Championship pennant returns to Edgbaston, where it enjoyed a two-year residence in the mid-1990s, when Brian Lara was part of the celebrations.

The team has undergone a complete transformation since then and tough decisions have been made along the way.

Bob Woolmer's second spell as coach ended in 2002 after he failed to repeat the successful formula of the previous decade.

But the former South Africa boss helped with the mix that has matured this summer.

Towards the end of the 2001 season, Warwickshire made a decision to prefer younger batsmen to the current line-up.

BATTING AVERAGES IR Bell 1473 at 77.52, best 262* GB Hogg 662 at 66.20, best 158 NV Knight 1233 at 61.65, best 303* IJL Trott 1073 at 53.65, best 115 DR Brown 803 at 47.23, best 162

Vice-captain David Hemp was told he was no longer required and another veteran bat, Dominic Ostler, was relegated to a smaller role.

"They were hard decisions but we could see we had England players of the future," explains Amiss, a batsman who won 50 Test caps himself.

"Mark Wagh was in England's 30-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, Ian Bell has had a tremendous season and Jonathan Trott is a possible England player when he qualifies."

The bowling has not been as over-awing. With two games left, no player had claimed more than 30 wickets.

Zimbabwean Heath Streak claimed the only two five-wicket hauls of the campaign in the same match when he made a long-awaited debut, and spent the next month out injured.

But veterans Dougie Brown and Neil Carter have had solid seasons and 19-year-old Naqqash Tahir secured his place in the side with some strong early performances.

BOWLING AVERAGES HH Streak 24 at 19.16, best 7-80 IR Bell 14 at 27.35, best 4-4 N Tahir 26 at 29.46, best 4-43 DR Brown 33 at 36.96, best 5-89 D Pretorius 24 at 39.00, best 4-119 NM Carter 27 at 44.03, best 4-50

Amiss believes the youth team product can gain extra pace as he continues to grow physically.

It has helped that Knight had won 12 tosses in 15 matches.

In the two-division Championship, the emphasis is on not losing rather than pushing for victory and a team that passes 500, as Warwickshire have done six times, is unlikely to be challenged.

"Our depth and talent in batting has given us big totals and we have been able to put pressure on opponents," says Amiss.

"We were unsuccessful last year because we didn't have big enough totals.

"This year we have batted better and all played our roles."

The proof of the pudding was in the playing, and Warwickshire have won the highest award.