Vertu Backs Bears Women In Exciting Edgbaston Partnership
Vertu has strengthened its ties with the West Midlands region after entering into an exciting new partnership with Edgbaston, one of the most iconic venues in world cricket.
Located close to the centre of England’s second city, Edgbaston is the home of Warwickshire County Cricket Club, its T20 team the Bears and - new from 2025 - the Club’s first fully-professional women’s side.
Bears Women make their debut this summer as one of eight new Tier 1 teams that will play in a revamped national women’s cricket structure.
It represents the dawn of an exciting new era for the women’s game in England.
And as part of the new partnership with Edgbaston, Vertu will take up a central role with the Bears Women side as the first front-of-shirt sponsor for the team as it embarks on its historic inaugural season.
The team includes a blend of youth and experience, with the likes of England Under-19s players Amu Surenkumar and Davina Perrin being signed alongside England-capped players such as Issy Wong, Katie George, Em Arlott and Georgia Davis.
Davis will captain the side in games across the Metro Bank One Day Cup, the Vitality Blast and a new FA Cup-style knockout competition that the Bears will enter at the third round stage due to their Tier 1 status.
The Bears will play their home games at Edgbaston including five T20 double-headers with the men’s team, with Vertu branding being present within the ground throughout the season.
The famous ground, which is widely regarded as one of the leading venues in the game by players and fans alike, has played host to cricket since the 1880s and has been the scene of a number of memorable moments through the years across both the men’s and women’s game – including Brian Lara’s famous 501 not out for Warwickshire back in 1994.
Edgbaston was the scene of the first Women’s World Cup final in 1973 where England beat Australia and broke the record for the highest attendance for a standalone women’s international fixture in the UK when more than 19,000 people saw Australia beat England in the first T20 game of the 2023 Ashes series.
The ground is located little over a mile away from the nearest Vertu dealership, with the Ford site on Bristol Street having been the location where the first Bristol Street Motors dealership was opened back in 1924.
Bristol Street Motors, part of the wider Vertu group, has been rebranded under the Vertu name to create a single network of more than 200 dealerships across England and Scotland.
The partnership with Edgbaston and the Bears Women is the latest for Vertu in the region, with similar agreements already in place with Birmingham City Football Club and the Droitwich-based EXCELR8 British Touring Car Championship team.
Robert Forrester, Chief Executive of Vertu, said: “We are delighted to embark on a new partnership with Edgbaston and the Bears ahead of what promises to be another hugely exciting season in English cricket.
“To join forces with such an iconic venue is something we are extremely excited about, particularly given our own historic links to the Midlands area through the Bristol Street Motors brand.
“As we now head into a new era as Vertu, we are also proud to throw our support behind the Bears Women as they embark on their maiden season in Tier 1 and wish them plenty of success during the year ahead.”
Ben Seifas, Head of Sales and Partnerships at Edgbaston, said: “We are incredibly excited to announce our first-ever front of shirt partnership with Vertu for Bears Women.
“This marks a significant milestone in our journey, and we are proud to align with a brand that shares our commitment to excellence, growth, and community. Together with Vertu, we look forward to achieving great things together on and off the pitch.”