Leicestershire Foxes (H) – 17 July 2016
A Midlands derby to savour awaits spectators on July 17 when the Birmingham Bears face a Foxes side which has always been a force to be reckoned in the NatWestT20Blast – and has won the tournament three times.
The Bears and Foxes have not met too often in T20 – just eight times with the Bears winning five and the Foxes three.
Brian Halford, Club Journalist
Right from its inception the Foxes got to grips with the short format, reaching the first four Finals Days from 2003-2006 and winning the trophy twice in those years – in 2004 when they beat Surrey at Edgbaston in the final and in 2006 when they defeating arch-rivals Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge.
The Foxes lifted the trophy for a third time in 2011 when Matthew Hoggard’s side saw off Somerset in the final at Edgbaston and they are serious contenders for glory again in 2016. While Leicester City FC have been busy delivering one of the great sport stories of all time in recent months, there is also a notable sense of resurgence around Leicestershire Foxes.
After a thin time, particularly in the championship, the Foxes are advancing again under the forward-thinking regime of chief executive (and former Bear) Wasim Khan and director of cricket Andrew McDonald. They could be dark horses in all formats in 2016.
The Bears and Foxes have not met too often in T20 – just eight times with the Bears winning five and the Foxes three. They first met in the inaugural season of 2003 in the semi-final at Trent Bridge when a Bears team featuring Ian Bell, Dougie Brown and Jim Troughton won by seven wickets before losing in the final to a Surrey side including Rikki Clarke.
SNAP UP SOME TICKETS
Tickets are on sale at Edgbaston.com/Tickets and are priced at £15 in the Early Bird window. Prices will rise on 20th April to £19. As ever all Under 16s have FREE entry to every group game fixture, but must be accompanied by an adult.
