Jeetan Patel today reflected upon Warwickshire’s Twenty20 Cup triumph as one of the highlights of his career – but insisted it has only made him want to enjoy more success with the Bears.
The Bears supplied their supporters far and wide with a day to treasure when they lifted the T20 trophy amid memorable scenes in front of a 23,000 full house at Edgbaston ten days ago.
For a city and an area not overly blessed with recent sporting success, it was an occasion which will long be recalled and savoured.
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Not least by New Zealand spinner Patel, whose all-round input has been so pivotal to Warwickshire’s strategy in all formats during the last four years.
But, while looking back with pride, the Kiwi is also very much looking forward to the challenge of helping bring further silverware to Edgbaston, perhaps even this season as they remain in the championship race and face Kent in a Royal London Cup semi-final today.
“To win a trophy halfway through the season is amazing,” Patel said. “But to have an an opportunity to win more trophies is even better.
“I have gone through a lot of changes in my career and a lot of ups and downs and for me its now about winning as many trophies as I can in the rest of my career.
“At the start of this English season I came back to the Bears off a trophy back home where we had won the one-day comp.
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“And now, after some tough times at the start of the season, we have one one trophy already and are currently challenging for others.
“With a semi-final today and us sitting pretty tight in behind the leaders in the championship, I couldn’t ask for much more.
“I just need to stay level and keep the excitement under control so that I can keep doing my job for Warwickshire.”
It’s safe to stay that Patel will stay level. Few Warwickshire players, home-grown or imported, have given more to the team and the dressing-room environment while retaining such humility.
It is for others to emphasise his value to the Bears – and many do. As always, he is quick to salute the contributions of other players to Warwickshire’s splendid season.
“One of the really big things for us is that different guys have stood up at different times all along,” he said.
“Look at Pete McKay coming into the side for the quarter-final at Chelmsford and hitting a couple of sixes in the last over to give us real momentum going into their innings. And he kept fantastically too.
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“Tim Ambrose has been great for us all season and it’s a shame he got injured but Pete did really well and then in the current championship match at Lord’s he went in at six, which is a pressure-batting position, and played a very important innings.
“You’ve got Ian Westwood coming in and getting a crucial hundred at Somerset. In T20 different bowlers have stood up and done really well. On Finals Day, Will Porterfield was amazing all day, Ateeq Javid did really well, Olly Hannon-Dalby stood up strong throghout the whole day.
“And that’s the environment we have created here with players coming into the side not afraid to perform. That’s what you want - guys to be fearless out on the park.
“If they are that they will put in performances that will always get you close to the line and sometimes over it.”
n ENGLAND and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell has been ruled out of the fifth and final Royal London Series match against India at Headingley because of a broken toe.
England were initially planning to assess Bell’s injury in practice on Thursday, but have decided already he will not recover in time to play the following day.
They will not, however, be calling up a replacement.
Bell was hit on the left big toe while facing throw-downs in practice drills before Tuesday’s nine-wicket defeat at Edgbaston, where his number three position was instead filled by Gary Ballance.
An England and Wales Cricket Board press release explained on Wednesday afternoon that Bell has played his last international match of the summer.
It read: “England and Warwickshire batsman Ian Bell has been ruled out of the final Royal London ODI against India on Friday with a small fracture to his left big toe, sustained yesterday before the ODI at Edgbaston.”
“Bell will not be replaced in the squad for the remaining match.”
England’s defeat in Birmingham means they have lost the series, and will be trying to avoid a 4-0 whitewash in Leeds.