Ian Westwood: A four-time County Championship winner

Warwickshire County Cricket Club Head Coach, Ian Westwood, became one of the Club’s most decorated figures when he led the Bears to a ninth County Championship triumph this season.

2026-10-21T10:00+01:00

Of those nine victories, Westwood has played a part in four. Twice as a player, once as an Assistant Coach and now as Head Coach.

The first of those came at the start of Westwood’s playing career in 2004...

2004

Although Westwood’s involvement in 2004 was minimal, he was still a vital part of the squad that went unbeaten during the campaign, as the team recorded five wins and 11 draws across 16 matches.

With the title all-but confirmed, Westwood made his First Class debut for the Club in the final game of the season, opening the batting and scoring 38 in the second innings as Warwickshire drew against Northampton. The team ended the year 16 points above Kent, and with the Club’s sixth County Championship.

2012

In 2012, Westwood was a key part of a successful batting unit, as the Bears won six, drew nine and lost just once on their way to a convincing County Championship title win.

Westwood, opening the batting, had one of his best seasons for the Club, scoring 771 County Championship runs at an average of 42.83. He struck two centuries and five 50s in his 12 appearances, and alongside Varun Chopra, the duo were arguably the most formidable opening pair in domestic cricket during that year.

2021

Westwood announced his retirement during the 2017 season and ended his playing career having donned the whites of Warwickshire in 159 First-Class games, scoring 16 centuries and amassing over 8,000 runs in four-day cricket.

Following that, he turned his hand to coaching and in 2021 played his part behind the scenes as Assistant Coach to Mark Robinson. Led by Robinson, and with Will Rhodes as captain, the team navigated all of the challenges Covid-19 brought and a change in County Championship format, to bring four-day silverware back to the Club for the first time in nine years.

2026

In February of 2025, Westwood was named Head Coach of his boyhood Club. While the first season of his leadership saw the team to a fifth-place finish, his second would prove to be one of his finest achievements while wearing the Bear and Ragged Staff.

With a quiet confidence, and with the support of the likes of Pop Welch and Matt Walker, Westwood guided the team to the title, where they recorded six draws, a solitary loss and seven victories. Five of those seven wins came in their final six fixtures, with four successive wins to end the season seeing them beat Somerset to the title.