Bears keen to engage with Warwickshire business community

England legend Ian Bell was the guest of honour when Warwickshire County Cricket Club held an Q&A in Leamington Spa as part of their drove to build engagement with the district.

The business community was well-represented in the audience at the event hosted by Clements & Church tailors.

Alongside Bell on the panel were the two men currently at the helm of Warwickshire cricket; director of cricket Paul Farbrace and chief executive Stuart Cain.

Bell spoke about his record-breaking career, cited his personal favourites from his 21 Test centuries and shared some memories from his five Ashes-winning Test series and former teammates. He also gave his views on how the current Warwickshire side, who are top of the County Championship table, is improving all the time.

Farbrace was questioned on his experiences of coaching both Sri Lanka and England at international level and how these experiences shaped his coaching style. Cain spoke on his first year as the Bears' chief executive and the direction he sees the club progressing in the future. The Hundred was also discussed by all the panel and how they see the county game evolving in the near future.

The event gave local businesses such as InvestGrow, IWUK, Honesberie and The Warwickshire (golf centre) an exciting opportunity to network with other businesses through Warwickshire County Cricket Club. It will provide a starting point for more events within the county of Warwickshire that will build the Bears' engagement with the communities in which they have so many supporters.