Coach John Inverarity is the understated, though essential ingredient in Warwickshire's County Championship success.
 |  I truly believe this team's best years are still a couple of years away |
Tall, bespectacled, softly spoken, the 60-year-old former Australian Test batsman's undemonstrative manner has dovetailed perfectly with new skipper Nick Knight's calm, uncomplicated approach.
Recently retired after 36 years in education, culminating with a spell as Headmaster of Hale School in his native Perth, Inverarity has been honing his leadership skills from an early age.
"At 10 my teammates would vote me captain. I enjoyed that, I liked analysing and observing. I'd lay field placings out in front of me and was fascinated by my colleagues' techniques, trying to understand what worked, what failed."
Progressing to State cricket, Inverarity, whose father Mervyn played fifteen years at this level, was appointed captain of Western Australia in 1971, leading the then unfashionable State to four Shield titles in five seasons, won six Test caps before retiring to concentrate on school life full time.
Now in his second summer at Edgbaston - following two brief spells at Kent - Inverarity favours a straight forward, hands off approach to leadership.
"To play County cricket players must already have attained a certain level of ability, so my job is to enhance their performance and technique, work with them.
"Being too demanding can be inhibiting and interfere with their thought processes. So if in doubt, my maxim is leave things well alone."
But what has turned Warwickshire from a middle-ranking Division One side into County Champions, somewhat ahead of Inverarity's own expectations?
 Batsman Jonathan Trott has enhanced his reputation |
"Frankly, the difference between last season and this isn't very marked," says the coach.
"The starting point for team spirit, confidence and momentum is players performing well. Normally, three or four will have a very good season but if you can up that to five or six that's the crucial difference between winning and losing.
"Ian Bell's had a tremendous summer, Nick Knight too; Jonathan Trott, Dougie Brown, Brad Hogg with the bat - they've all enjoyed purple patches. But we're very much an evolving side and I truly believe this team's best years are still a couple of years away."
Knight's elevation has also been important, and his uncomplicated manner has impressed Inverarity.
"He's astute and experienced; some captains try to be too smart, but he's straightforward and leads by example."
But while Warwickshire's batting has been formidable, regularly posting first innings totals of 400-500, their bowling has been, in Inverarity's opinion, "steady, hard working but lacking in penetration".
He said: " Victories (and draws) have been achieved through attrition...batting the opposition out of the game with sizeable first innings scores.
"We've got so much depth there. Wicket-keeper Tony Frost bats at 10 but is good enough to have opened; young paceman Naqaash Tahir has a good eye and touch, yet often comes in at 11."
It's a point recognised by chief executive Dennis Amiss.
"The emphasis has been on batting; we weren't scoring enough first innings runs to control matches.
"Now we're posting totals which pressurise the opposition. It's an area that John and Nick have paid particular attention to," said Amiss.
For all his personable approach, Inverarity won't let things slide, seeing the title as basically an unexpected bonus, albeit one which carries certain dangers.
"I'm thrilled by it, but it's essential that our young players keep their feet on the ground, realise that there's significant room for improvement.
"They must keep striving and you're more likely to do that if you don't get your rewards too early.
"A successful team is only as strong as the sum of its components, but there's still a long way to go towards building a side with an unstoppable, ruthless momentum. That's our challenge."
MMIX
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