Once a Bear, Always a Bear - Jamie Spires

In the latest instalment of the series, we had the pleasure of catching up with Jamie Spires - a left-arm finger spinner from Solihull who represented the club in 7 First-Class matches and 1 List A fixture between 2001 and 2002 - to speak about his early cricketing memories at Camp Hill, his unforgettable Warwickshire debut against Middlesex at Lord’s as well as his journey into the wonderful world of coaching with Complete Cricket.

Here’s what he had to say:

So Jamie, it’s the age-old question here at The Bear, but what are your earliest memories of cricket, either playing or watching the great game?

My earliest memories of cricket would be watching my Dad playing at Camp Hill CC in the mid-80's. This then progressed to me taking to the field for the side in a couple of friendly matches as a very young lad. 

And who would you say inspired you the most to continue playing cricket in those formative years?

Terry Bird at Solihull Blossomfield CC was a big influence in my early years for sure. He put a lot of effort into the junior system at that time and would make sure that we got the most out of every training session.  Then later on in my journey, I would say, without doubt, Bob Woolmer. Myself, Jim Troughton and Nick Warren actually spent an off season living next door to him in Cape Town! He placed all three of us at different township clubs across the region, sorted out sponsored cars for us, got us all a gym membership and would coach us at various points throughout the 6 months. I can say with confidence that after those 6 months, I came back as a much better cricketer.

Out of curiosity, why did you choose to become a spin bowler?

I’ve got absolutely no idea! Probably because bowling seam looked like too much hard work and I certainly wasn't getting picked for my batting!

Favourite delivery to bowl as a spinner?

In my prime, it was my arm ball.

Which cricket club did you start out at, and which club did you most recently play for?

I started out at Camp Hill CC, then went on to play for Solihull Blossomfield CC and Knowle & Dorridge CC, and finally finished at Berkswell CC. The majority of my time was spent at K&D from about 1997 to 2013 though.

Off the back of that last question, how and when did the opportunity to play for Warwickshire first materialise?

I came through the junior system at Warwickshire, starting out as a 9-year-old and progressing all the way through to the Under-19s. At that point, I was given a 'retainer' and eventually signed my first contract at the club in 2000.

We had an unbelievable cohort of players coming through at that time too… there was the likes of Jim Troughton, Ian Bell, Moeen Ali, Graham Wagg, Nick Warren, Ian Westwood and Naqaash Tahir - to name but a few - all of whom went on to have long careers in the game. 

And what would you say was the highlight from your time in a Warwickshire shirt?

Taking 9 wickets in a match vs Yorkshire at Edgbaston has to be up there, however I'll never forget my debut - which was against Middlesex at Lords in 2001 - where I picked up my first ever championship wicket, which just so happened to be Andrew Strauss. Trust me, I've bored plenty of people with that story over the years!

In fairness, that’s quite the prized wicket to take as your first one for the club! With the power of retrospection though Jamie, how do you reflect on your time with the Bears?

Ultimately, I loved it; I enjoyed some of the best years of my life there and wished that it could have continued longer. Unfortunately, when that dream ends prematurely, it's tough to deal with but that's just the nature of professional sport, I guess. 

Following on from those years spent in the county game, what have you been getting up to nowadays?

I'm now a director of a cricket coaching business based in South Birmingham called Complete Cricket. We have a long-standing relationship with Warwickshire CCC and currently work/have worked with many of the kids in the Bears pathway both past and present. We also do a lot of work with cricket in schools via Chance to Shine etc. 

And I appreciate that this chat has been very much cricket-focused, but do you have any hobbies or interests outside of this incredible sport?

Well, I spend most of my time these days driving my kids here, there and everywhere but aside from that, I play as much golf as I can! I’ve also kept in touch with many of my old team mates from the Bears and we've been on a few golf tours together over the years, so that’s been nice. 

Are there any other interesting facts about you, cricket-related or otherwise, that people might not know about?

I'm an avid Nottingham Forest fan and have been a season ticket holder at the City Ground since 1986. Most of those years have been hard work, however these recent years have been much more enjoyable! 

And for our final question Jamie, it’s a pretty big one, but what’s been the proudest accomplishment of your life to date?

To be able to say I played County Cricket for Warwickshire is special to me. I didn't play at that level for very long in the end, but to be able to walk out at grounds like Edgbaston, Lord’s and Old Trafford representing the Bears is something I'll always remember. Receiving my County Cap (#439) in 2019 was also an incredibly special moment.