The Bear: Ian Westwood recalls the Bears' incredible win over Hampshire in 2006

Warwickshire face Hampshire at Southampton today seeking a victory which would send them into the last three matches in the thick of the hunt for the Rothesay County Championship title. The Bears would settle for a repeat of the result there in 2006, though perhaps without some of the stress from one of the great, and most bizarre, finishes in Championship history. The Bear’s Brian Halford reports.

2026-09-02T14:20+01:00

After Warwickshire’s breathtaking one-wicket victory over Sussex at Edgbaston two weeks ago, Head Coach Ian Westwood admitted that he felt “drained,” even though he hadn’t played in the game.

The match was amongst the greatest Championship matches in which Warwickshire have been involved. Rewind 20 years to August 2006 and you find another in that pantheon. The Bears beat Hampshire by two wickets at the Rose Bowl - and this time, Westwood did play. He was at the very heart of the game’s thrilling and slightly slapstick finish – but his memories of it are hazy.

Understandably so as he had just returned to the ground from hospital having, fielding at short leg earlier in the day, taken a full-blooded slog-sweep on the side of the head.

These days, of course, concussion regulations are very strict – a blow on the head and you are out of the game. Twenty years ago, it was a little different. It was a case of ‘get out there, we’ve got a game to win.’

It all happened on the last day of a contest that had always been compelling. After Warwickshire totalled 401 in their first innings (Mark Wagh, 128, and Nick Knight, 78, leading the way as all 11 batters lodged even-numbered scores) they bowled Hampshire out for 235 (Paul Harris six for 80) and enforced the follow on.

Hampshire began the final day of 27 for one and a draw appeared likely, especially while fourth-wicket pair Chris Benham and Dominic Thornely were adding 149. It was during this stand, however, that the seeds of the remarkable finish were sown,

“It looked like the game was just meandering to a tame draw,” recalls Westwood. “I was fielding at short-leg to Paul Harris and Benham connected with a full-blooded slog-sweep. I was wearing a helmet, of course, but I turned slightly and the ball hit me on the temple. I definitely saved four runs!

“I think I might have been momentarily knocked out. It was all a bit of a blur, but I went back to the changing-room and was retching in the toilet and had quite bad concussion symptons so was taken to hospital. They kept me in for a few hours and did some checks and eventually said I was okay to leave. I had been checking the scores and it had just looked like it was petering out into a boring draw but then Heath Streak took a few wickets and we had bowled them out and got chasing. Our fitness coach Simon Hollyhead came and picked me up and on the way back to the ground we heard we were cruising at 50 for one and it looked like we were going to walk it.”

Streak had indeed got among the Hampshire batters. His six for 73 sent them from 217 for three to 286 all out and suddenly it was game on. The Bears needed 121 in 25 overs.

“Back at the ground I was watching but quite groggy,” said Westwood. “We batted quite well at the top of the order and but then started losing wickets – Alex Loudon, Tim Ambrose and Luke Parker at four, five and six all got ducks – and I remember sitting there and people were padding me up. From just sitting there in my own little world, suddenly I was padded up and next in.”

Having collapsed from 77 for one to 101 for eight, Warwickshire still required 20 when Westwood joined Neil Carter at the crease. And while the new batter’s head was still humming, there was another wrinkle to the plot. Carter, having pulled a hammy, was batting on one leg with Parker out there as a runner.

Hampshire were scenting a remarkable win after following on, and pace pair Dimitri Mascarenhas, who had taken five wickets, and Chris Tremlett were tearing in. But they were to be thwarted by The Three Bears – one limping, one running and one trying to remember which end of the bat to hold.

“I went in at number ten, on a pair, against Chris Tremlett who was bowling quite quickly,” said Westwood. “Carts had Luke out there running for him so there was a lot happening. I didn’t really know what was going on. I’d just been padded up and sent out there, but I managed to get a couple of singles.

“It all came down to the last over, bowled by Mascarenhas, and Carts slog-swept him for six and then we scampered the winning single. I remember Luke diving in to complete the run and Mascarenhas hoofing all the stumps out of the ground. I walked off and people were saying ‘well done’ and patting me on the head which wasn’t really what I needed!

“Concussion is taken very seriously now and quite rightly so. These days you can have replacements but back then it was either not bat and potentially lose or go out there and try and hold up an end and get over the line. I think I missed the next game because I still wasn’t feeling great, but there’d been a game to win so you went out there and got on with it. It was just what you did. A different time, definitely.”