Report: Northamptonshire Steelbacks vs Bears Men, Vitality Blast

Dan Mousley hit a brilliant 68 but to no avail as the Bears slipped to a 10-run defeat in the Vitality Blast against Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.

Ben Sanderson sealed victory for the Steelbacks with three wickets in the penultimate over.

With Moeen Ali well set on 31, the Bears needed 24 off the last two overs before Sanderson broke through, collecting three wickets in four balls, including the dangerous Moeen, to extend his tally of wickets in this year’s competition to 17.

Justin Broad had earlier led the way for the Steelbacks, scoring 60 off 35 balls (7 fours, 1 six) to help propel them to 184 for six. Matthew Breetzke also struck 53 off 36 balls, his first half-century of the season, during a partnership of 59 in six overs with skipper David Willey (34).

Birmingham’s Pakistan international Hassan Ali finished with figures of three for 42, including two wickets off consecutive deliveries in the Steelbacks’ final over.

Dan Mousley led the charge for the Bears with a brilliant 68 off 42 balls (10 fours, 1 six), with Tom Latham contributing 34. George Scrimshaw backed up career-best figures at Derby with two wickets for 25, while Willey also claimed two scalps.

The Steelbacks reached 52 for one in the powerplay, losing Ricardo Vasconcelos early, bowled by Hassan, before Breetzke went on the charge against George Garton, hitting consecutive boundaries and pulling square for a huge six.

Breetzke reached his half-century by swinging Moeen for four and six off consecutive balls, but skied another attempted pull off Moeen’s next delivery, Kai Smith running in from deep midwicket to take the catch.

At first, Willey and Broad found it difficult to force the ball away before Broad broke the shackles, sweeping Moeen for four before Willey swung high over deep midwicket for six. Broad then took three consecutive boundaries off Danny Briggs on both sides of the wicket.

Garton finally accounted for Willey, who was brilliantly caught by a tumbling Jake Lintott at fine-leg, but Broad continued to play shots before ramping Hassan to bring up his half-century.

Saif Zaib (15) smashed a slower ball from Hassan down the ground for six but was caught and bowled by Mousley soon afterwards.

Broad pummelled Hassan over deep midwicket but was bowled attempting another big shot. Lewis McManus top-edged Hassan’s next delivery, keeper Alex Davies taking the catch before Luke Procter sent the final ball to the boundary.

Chasing, Birmingham lost Davies in the third over off a top-edge against Willey, Scrimshaw holding a diving catch at fine leg.

Mousley used his feet well, coming down the wicket to hit boundaries off the seamers and continued to accumulate against the slower bowlers, reverse sweeping Lloyd Pope for six.

Latham fell to a well-judged boundary catch by Zaib when he clipped a Scrimshaw delivery off his legs, before Sam Hain gloved the fast man through to the keeper as he backed away.

Moeen hooked Scrimshaw high over fine leg for six, but the pacer responded brilliantly, conceding just three runs off his next over.

Mousley garnered two boundaries off Procter, and with the Bears needing just 53 off the last five, the momentum looked firmly in their favour. Moeen cracked Willey through the covers, but the Northamptonshire skipper made the vital breakthrough when he had Mousley caught behind off an attempted hook. 

Broad was pulled over fine leg for six by Moeen, but he removed Barnard through a dazzling boundary catch from Willey running backwards at long-off.

The ever-dependable Sanderson then bowled Garton, trapped Moeen lbw and had Hassan caught at long-on to all but seal victory.

Birmingham Bears captain Alex Davies said: “We were in the hunt all the way. The rate was sort of nines, 10s throughout, and we were in full control while Mouse and Tom Latham were going. I think Tom was very unlucky to pick a fielder out there. I think credit has to go to George Scrimshaw. He bowled a lovely spell there. He bowled with pace on a pitch that was offering quite a lot of bounce. He cracked it in halfway down, and we didn’t have many answers for him.

“There was a lot of grass on the wicket, a lot of patchy grass. So, the bounce was quite steep, with a couple of dismissals sort of hitting the splice of the bat and going straight up. But they’ve found a template at home that they’re sticking with. They sticking to their strengths, leaving a bit of grass on it that helps Sando and Willey up top, and the bounce through the middle helps bowlers like George Scrimshaw. And we knew that was the case, we just didn’t have the skill to deal with it at the time.

“It’s T20 cricket. We’ve got to get over it quick. We’ve got two more games in the next three days and a road trip up north. So yeah, we’ll chat about it. We’ll dust ourselves down. But I think the positive there is we’re only 10 runs short, and that’s one big over in the middle that we either take one of their spinners down, or we get George Scrimshaw away for a couple and we win with an over to spare. But the margins are small, and we came out the wrong end tonight.”