Westwood says Championship triumph ‘sensational’

Warwickshire County Cricket Club Head Coach, Ian Westwood, admitted it felt ‘sensational’ as his team got over the line to become champions of the Rothesay County Championship.

2026-09-27T10:25+01:00

Westwood has led his team to five wins from their last six games, and in each of their last four fixtures to become only the ninth team in Bears history to lift the coveted trophy.

With his team needing seven wickets to wrap up victory by an innings in front of almost 3,000 Bears fans at Edgbaston on day three, Ethan Bamber took the final wicket soon after lunch.

Westwood was proud that under pressure, his team were able to produce another dominant display on an important week for the Club.

“It feels sensational to be honest,” Westwood said. “It’s pretty special to have put in such a good performance this week under pressure and got the title. It’s amazing.

“We’ve played such good cricket to win those three away games back-to-back, but we weren’t making up any ground in terms of points. The other teams were playing very well.

“We had that nervy wait after Chelmsford and watched those results come in the day after. Since then, the pressure definitely changed. It was on us.

“Everybody expected us to win comfortably this week, but the game very rarely works like that. You have to play well, you have to be at your best, and fortunately for us we were.”

Westwood, while praising the entire squad, highlighted the impact of the league’s leading wicket-taker, Bamber, and top-order batter, Sam Hain, who passed 1,000 runs for the season with his brilliant 142 this week.

“I sound like a broken record really but he [Ethan Bamber] deserves every success he gets,” he said. “He works so hard, he’s the most diligent professional I’ve ever seen and worked with.

“He does everything he can to get every ounce of ability he’s got out onto the park and show it, and he’s got a big heart and he’s bowled with so much skill this year. He’s been amazing.

“He’s [Sam Hain] been so consistent. I’ve seen a real desire from him to lead the batting line up this. He’s been desperate to win, and he’s been exceptional.

“He’s been playing on one leg for the last six weeks. Injury wise, we were expecting him to be out for most of the season, if not all, but he was so determined. I can’t speak highly enough of him.

“In big moments and big games, you need your best players to stand up and he certainly did that.”

Westwood has now been directly involved in four of Warwickshire’s nine County Championship titles, making him one of the most decorated figures in the Club’s history.

Having won the title as a player in 2004 and 2012, he was Assistant Coach for the 2021 triumph before leading the team to glory as Head Coach this term.

“I’ve really enjoyed it,” he added. “I’ve been lucky. They’ve made it really easy for me.

“My coaching staff have been incredible. The amount of not just skill and effort they’ve bought to the group, but their support of me. Simon Kerrigan has been great, and a big shout out to Matthew Walker and Pop Welch, who have been incredibly supportive for me, and the lads have loved them.

“We’re gutted that Matt’s going to leave us. He’s going to be a really big loss, but Pop has done what he does best and has got the bowling group and got the best out of them.

“This week, it couldn’t have been written any better. A sunny day at Edgbaston, just before after lunch, it doesn’t get much better.”