Report: Bears v Rapids, Vitality Blast
Dan Mousley’s 68 proved to be in vein as the Bears fell to a 55 run defeat to the Worcestershire Rapids in a rain-reduced 17-overs-per-side match at Edgbaston.
The Vitality Blast North Group table leaders suffered just their third defeat of the campaign as they lost regular wickets chasing the 187 for six set by the visitors.
Back-to-back wins have retained the Rapids’ sliver of hope of qualification for the knockout stage, but the Bears remain very strongly placed for a third successive home quarter final.
The Rapids chose to bat but lost Ed Pollock to the third ball when he pulled Zak Foulkes to mid-on where Sam Hain dived low to take his 71st T20 catch.
Kashif Ali got the innings going with an audacious six over mid-wicket off Garton and added 56 in 32 balls with Josh Cobb before the latter chipped Moeen Ali to extra cover. Kashif collected 30 of his 46 runs in fours and sixes but departed furious at himself for nicking a wide long hop from Moeen to the wicketkeeper.
Former Bears batter Adam Hose has a lot of happy history at Edgbaston, having scored over 1,000 T20 runs there, but added only eight before hammering Danny Briggs to extra cover. When Briggs struck again three balls later, Gareth Roderick top-edging a sweep, the Rapids had lost three wickets in ten balls at a time when they needed to accelerate.
The acceleration then came, first from Nathan Smith who socked 33 off 16 balls in a stand of 52 in 28 balls with Brookes (30 not out, 19) and then Waite peppered the leg side boundary with 6-4-6-6-6-6 in the final over.
The Rapids’ attack was deprived of Smith, who ended his innings with a runner after damaging a hamstring, but the Bears’ reply started with both openers falling quickly. Taylor’s first ball was a wide, then his second was a searing inswinger which bowled Alex Davies. Rob Yates spooned a return catch to Cobb. When Hain chopped Waite on to his stumps, the Bears were 18 for three.
Mousley batted with aplomb on his way to a 34-ball half-century but support for him was fleeting. Moeen was bowled, swishing across the line, by Waite and Chris Benjamin’s counter-attack (21 in eight balls) was ended by an excellent catch on the long off rope by Taylor. Jake Bethell sliced Taylor to deep cover and 56 from the last two overs proved slightly too tall an order for the lower order as Waite rounded off his great day with wickets from successive balls to end the game with Bears 132 all out.
Bears all-rounder Dan Mousley said: “It was disappointing to lose but they were obviously the better team tonight. They were really good. We just have to dust ourselves down and go again on Sunday.
“It was really clean ball-striking from Waite and he had a brilliant game with bat and ball. It was his night and for us it just wasn’t to be this time. Losing a derby game isn’t ideal but we are at the top end of the table and still in the running for a home quarter-final.
“It was a great atmosphere despite the weather. At one point I wondered if we would get any cricket because the rain seemed pretty set in but to get some cricket in was great for the crowd. Not to win was not ideal but there are so many positives we can take from this T20 campaign so far and hopefully it still has a long way to run.”
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