Tim Ambrose is on course to reach 10,000 runs for the Bears in all competitions in 2016

Warwickshire's Tim Ambrose has been awarded a benefit for the 2016 season to mark his 11th summer with the Bears.

The 32-year-old Australia-born wicketkeeper/batsman has been at Edgbaston since arriving in 2006 from Sussex, where he was being kept out of the team by Matt Prior.

Ambrose has proved a big hit for the Bears, going on to win an England call himself in 2008.

"Tim thoroughly deserves this honour," said chief executive Colin Povey.

Tim's time at Edgbaston Ambrose has won honours for the Bears in all forms of the game - the CB40 (2010), the County Championship (2012) and the T20 Blast (2014). After being called up by England, he played 11 Tests between March 2008 and February 2009, making a century against New Zealand at Wellington, in his second match, as well as playing in five one-dayers and one T20 international. He has made 6,154 first-class runs for Warwickshire, at 34.18, including 10 centuries, taken 379 catches and claimed 23 stumpings.

"He's been one of our senior players for some time. He's been almost ever-present for us in all formats of the game over recent seasons and has performed consistently well both behind the stumps and with the bat."

Ambrose, who signed a new two-year deal with the Bears at the end of the 2014 season, is currently in the process of agreeing a one-year extension to tie him to the county until 2017.

"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time at Edgbaston," he said. "Looking down the list of names of those who've had a benefit year in the past makes me realise just how much of a privilege it is to be afforded this honour."

The Bears' two most recent beneficiaries have been Jonathan Trott (2014) and former skipper Ian Westwood (2015).