Westwood hoping for swift improvement after Bears fall to defeat against Northants

Warwickshire County Cricket Club Head Coach, Ian Westwood, is hoping for an immediate improvement from his side after they fell to a five-wicket defeat against Northamptonshire to start their Metro Bank One Day Cup campaign.

2026-07-21T19:30+01:00

The Bears batted first at the cinch County Ground and put on 312 for nine from their 50 overs thanks to a well-made 80 from captain Sam Hain and a first List A half-century from Theo Wylie (65), however on a good batting pitch and with a fast outfield, Northants reached their total five down with eight balls remaining.

After Rob Yates (39) had got the Bears’ innings off to a fast start, Westwood felt his side were short of runs after 50 overs.

“It wasn’t our best performance really,” he said. “I think we left a few out there with the bat after the start that we got where we were 71 off ten.

“I thought we definitely left 40 or 50 runs out there and, particularly at the moment, we're a bit light on personnel with the ball, so those runs are important.

“I thought young Jake Garlick came in, bowled well and created some chances. Taz [Ali] bowled well too, but it was really hard to defend with a lightning outfield and a good pitch.”

The Bears have a quick turnaround before their next One Day Cup fixture, travelling to face Nottinghamshire on Thursday and Westwood is eager to see his side bounce back, stressing that against quality opposition, it’s the small margins that make the difference.