Report: Bears Men vs Derbyshire Men, Vitality Blast

Hassan Ali took a Hat-trick and 6fer to help the Bears complete back-to-back home wins with a 58-run victory over struggling Derbyshire Falcons at Edgbaston.

The Bears piled up 199 for six against the injury-hit Falcons. Opening pair Tom Latham (58, 42 balls) and Alex Davies (49, 29) provided a strong launchpad before the visitors reined the scoring in a little, Pat Brown taking three for 40.

It was more than enough though, as the Falcons replied with 141 all out in 19.1 overs. There was no way back from the dire start of 29 for four and their fourth defeat in four duly followed. Ross Whiteley hit 50 (37) and Wayne Madsen 46 (32), but Hassan Ali added four late wickets, including a hat-trick, to his two early ones to finish with six for 23 while George Garton equalled the T20 world record of five catches by a non-wicketkeeper.

With Samit Patel failing a fitness test on a calf injury, the Falcons’ squad was at full stretch. Fynn Hudson-Prentice came into the side, signed on a four-game loan from Sussex, but Warwickshire made a flying start after they were put in.

Davies and Latham followed their opening stand of 103 against Yorkshire on Friday with 79 (from 54 balls). Davies hit three sixes and five fours before departing unhappily at being deemed to have gloved an attempted pull at Brown to wicketkeeper Aneurin Donald.

The Falcons fought back well as former Bears spinner Alex Thomson bowled Dan Mousley through a sweep. Latham was adroitly caught by David Lloyd on the long leg boundary when the fielder threw the ball up to ensure he didn’t carry it over the rope, then stepped forward to catch it again.

Sam Hain swung Hudson-Prentice into the Hollies Stand, then tried to do so again but didn’t clear the fielder. Brown cleaned up Ed Barnard and Kai Smith with successive deliveries before important late impetus came from Moeen Ali (33 not out, 17) and Garton, who took 16 from the four balls he faced.

Garton was then heavily involved as the Falcons plummeted to 28 for four after four overs. He took a return catch to remove Caleb Jewell with the fifth ball of the innings and took stinging catches at cover from Aneurin Donald and David Lloyd off Barnard and Hassan Ali, respectively. Martin Andersson became the third batter in 18 balls to pick out a fielder when he belted Hassan Ali to point.

The top order implosion left Madsen and Whiteley needing to retrench, and while they did, the required rate escalated…the Falcons entered the last ten overs needing 129. Madsen and Whiteley each hit three sixes but perished in pursuit of a fourth, caught in the deep. The latter perished at the start of Hasan Ali’s hat-trick – Whiteley caught at long off, Thomson at mid on, and Ben Aitchson, bowled middle stump.  

Bears with successive wins are on a bit of a roll. Derbyshire’s campaign could not have started worse.

Bears bowler George Garton said, “I think the whole team performance was one to celebrate. People always talk about can you put in a complete performance, and on a good wicket, I think that was pretty close. Our openers set the tone brilliantly, then guys chipped in all the way down, and then we were pretty clinical with the ball.

“They had a good partnership with Madsen and Whiteley, but we knew if we stuck to our strengths, we’d be okay, and Danny Briggs did what Danny Briggs does so well. That’s why he has been so successful for so long, he is so calm under pressure. Then Hassan ripped through the tale – and it was a good celebration to boot!

“All game, we put pressure on without being reckless. Tom Latham is a brilliant overseas player. You know what you are going to get – he’s very calm and very methodical – and Davo is really solid up top, commanding the powerplay. 

“With the ball, we always speak about being aggressive and taking wickets because wickets are key to winning games. Today the ball went to hand for us – you get days like that when they hit balls in the air and it goes to fielders and you have to take advantage of days like that and we did it brilliantly and never let them get away after they were four down.”