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By Clive Eakin, BBC CWR<\/i><\/p>\n
The highlight of Mark Robinson’s four-year tenure was winning the County Championship at his first attempt – the Bears’ first title in nine years.<\/p>\n
Hampered by injuries and the lack of availability of their marquee overseas signings, the Bears were unable to recapture such heights.<\/p>\n
They did finish a respectable fourth place in 2023 but battled against relegation either side of that year, most notably in 2022 when Liam Norwell’s last-day heroics secured an unlikely escape. <\/p>\n
Nonetheless, Robinson can point out the Bears are one of only five counties to have preserved their first division status four years running since the resumption of two divisions in 2022.<\/p>\n
Expectations are high at Edgbaston, and the failure to be at their own T20 Blast Finals Day party since 2017 has been a source of angst among supporters. Yet the Bears have dominated the group stages, topping their pool in each of the last three seasons.<\/p>\n
But the quarter-final stage has been their graveyard, and this summer’s defeat by eventual winners Gloucestershire was the last straw for many fans.<\/p>\n
Ian Westwood now steps up 24 years after making his first team debut as a player. He’s been captain and assistant coach and is a throwback to past incumbents who came through the ranks, such as Dougie Brown, Ashley Giles and Jim Troughton.<\/p>\n
With Robinson having seen off two performance directors in Paul Farbrace and Gavin Larsen, Westwood will want a good working relationship with the new appointment, which is expected imminently.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n