Blast Preview: Vikings v Bears

Captain Will Rhodes says the Bears will launch their Vitality Blast campaign at Yorkshire Vikings  tomorrow fired by a “great feeling” in the dressing room after their excellent start to the season.

The Bears face the Vikings at Headingley tomorrow (6.30pm), then Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Friday as attention switches to the white ball.

It is a tough opening for Rhodes’s team, but they will go in full of confidence after a strong start to the red-ball season, winning four games and most recently demolishing Derbyshire in two and a half days at Derby.

Very different disciplines are demanded by the shorter game, but Rhodes is adamant that the buzz from winning matches always transcends the formats.

“We will 100 per cent take momentum from our form in the championship into the T20,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the format, whether it’s red or white ball, when you are winning games of cricket, it is always going to build momentum for you.

“There is a great feeling about the changing room at the moment. We have played some really good cricket without leaning too heavily on any particular player. There is no one player who is tearing up the season, every single individual is contributing.

Will Rhodes

“We have won four championship games and that’s a hard thing to do and you don’t do it unless a lot of players chip in. Whether big or small, every contribution matters.

“Everyone is playing their part and we’ll be looking for more of that in the T20. Yorks and Notts on their own patches is a tough start but if we can get a win or two from those games it will set us up nicely. They are good sides, but every side we play will be. These days, the way teams play in T20, every team has their potential match-winners and is dangerous.”

The Bears have added to their list of match-winners with the signing of West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, one of the most destructive batters in the world. Brathwaite will make his debut tomorrow while, Danny Briggs makes his T20 bow for the Bears, having bowled beautifully in the championship this season for 20 wickets at 22.15 apiece.

Their skills and experience form a huge addition to the squad, believes Rhodes.

“Last year we showed a little bit of naivety in the T20,” he said. “Looking back, we really should have qualified from the position we were in the second week of the tournament.

“But the guys will have learned from that, and to have added Carlos and Briggsy to the squad gives us that extra experience and knowhow. We are looking to play some good cricket, have some fun, give the fans some great entertainment and push hard for a place in the quarter-finals.”

Squad

Will Rhodes (C), Carlos Brathwaite, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Ethan Brookes, Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Adam Hose, Jake Lintott, Craig Miles, Dan Mousley, Ed Pollock

How to follow

Warwickshire Members and supporters will be able to follow all the action via the Match Centre on edgbaston.com and through the Edgbaston app (available for free on iOS and Android).

Supporters can also keep up to date with the scores and in-play clips through the Match Centre on edgbaston.com.

Blast Insight: Yorkshire Vikings

Here’s how the Bears opponents Yorkshire Vikings look ahead of our visit to Emerald Headingley on Thursday 10 June.

Coach: Andrew Gale 

Captain: David Willey

Last year’s performance: Fifth (North Group)

2020 Leading Runscorer: Adam Lyth (308 @ 38.5)

2020 Leading Wicket Taker: Matthew Fisher (8 @ 15.25), Jordan Thompson (8 @ 25.5)

Overseas players: Lockie Ferguson (New Zealand – whole group stage), Duanne Olivier (South Africa – whole tournament), Mathew Pillans (South Africa – whole tournament)

Key man: David Willey – Captain and explosive all-rounder has only found rhythm for Yorkshire this summer following injury and unavailability – five years after leaving Northamptonshire. If he finds form, the Vikings could fly.

Flies under the radar: Jordan Thompson – Emerging all-rounder to watch at 24. Last season’s standout player for Yorkshire in four-day cricket, he bats, bowls and fields and has plenty of fire in his belly. 

Best player under 24: Harry Brook. Exhilarating batsman, 22. Scored maiden fifty in 25th T20 appearance at the end of 2020 and will plan to build on strong starts from openers Adam Lyth and Tom Kohler-Cadmore.

Blast expectations: How Yorkshire have only ever reached Finals Day twice (2012 and 2016) is a mystery. They have had strong squads throughout the last two decades, but success hasn’t arrived.

This year is no different. England duo Jonny Bairstow and Adil Rashid should be available for the first four or five matches, and the Vikings must capitalise. Plenty of batting power, they have beefed up their fast-bowling stocks with the signing of New Zealand quick Lockie Ferguson.

Captain David Willey has helped design a striking new Nike playing shirt and wants his team to play a similarly electric brand of cricket. But they have to play smart as well if they want to break their trophy duck.

Bears Blast Best v Yorkshire Vikings

Best Innings – 69*

Laurie Evans (Headingley, 2014)

Thanks to the skills of Jeetan Patel (four for 19), Rikki Clarke (one for 18) and Ateeq Javid (one for 19), the Vikings were restricted to 147 for six, but when the Bears’ reply stuttered to 40 for four, the home fans were in full voice.

Enter Laurie Evans…and soon it was the travelling Bears fans in full voice.

Fluent from his first ball, Evans first added 43 in 29 balls with Clarke to keep the Bears in the match. Then he was joined by Javid for a match-winning unbroken stand of 65 in 71 balls.

Evans worked the ball around beautifully for an unbeaten 69 from 43 balls with nine fours and two sixes. With superb, ice-nerved support from Javid, he asw the Bears home with two balls to spare for a victory without which they would not have qualified from the group…and gone on to lift the trophy!

Best Bowling – 4/19

Jeetan Patel (Headingley 2014)

Jeets the genius silenced a big Leeds crowd by tying up a powerhouse Vikings top order which included Aaron Finch, Kane Williamson, and Jonny Bairstow.

The home side was looking dangerous at 47 for one in the seventh over but then Jeets had Alex Lees smartly stumped by Tim Ambrose and the whole game changed…suddenly the Bears were on the victory path.

Jeets trapped his countryman Williamson lbw, then bowled both Andrew Gale and Adam Lyth to send the Vikings spinning to 79 for six. Only a skilful unbeaten 45 from future Bears all-rounder Tim Bresnan saved the Vikings from complete embarrassment as they ended with 147 for six.  But Jeets had added another to his vast catalogue of match-turning spells for the Bears.