Report: Falcons v Bears, Vitality Blast

Bears picked up a second win in three days to keep their place among the North Group contenders with a seven-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the Incora County Ground.

On a used pitch that yielded runs only reluctantly, the visitors restricted Derbyshire to 133 for seven, Danny Briggs taking two for 23 with David Lloyd scoring 50 and Brooke Guest an unbeaten 38. Richard Gleeson took two wickets in the powerplay but it was the Bears’ spinners largely responsible for tying down the Falcons.

Derbyshire’s spinners threatened to do a similar job but Dan Mousley (66 not out) and Sam Hain (43) showed considerable patience and eventually reaped the rewards. Their 93-run partnership across 13.3 overs effectively won the match, Mousley closing it out with his seventh four with seven balls to spare.

Having opted to bat first, Derbyshire suffered a setback when the in-form Aneurin Donald fell for just two but seemed to be heading for a satisfactory start until Richard Gleeson removed Cam Fletcher and Wayne Madsen in the space of three balls in the last over of the powerplay to give the Bears an early advantage.

A boundary apiece from Brooke Guest and Lloyd off Jacob Lintott’s opening over hinted at acceleration but the Falcons’ progress was unspectacular at 65 for three from 10. Lloyd drove a soaring straight six off Lintott and repeated the blow against Briggs to complete a 36-ball half-century but was then caught aiming to clear the midwicket boundary.

Samit Patel perished cheaply, pouched at backward point when he skied one from Briggs as the competition’s all-time leading wicket-taker on 229 dismissed his closest rival. At 103 for five from 16, Derbyshire had been properly strangled by the Bears’ spinners. Mousley’s off-spin was wicketless but conceded only 16 in his allocation.

Ross Whiteley lifted Chris Woakes into the car park on the legside but once the ball had been found Woakes promptly bowled him with a full delivery off an inside edge. The over cost 13 runs but was one of only three across the innings to yield a tally in double figures and, after Zak Chappell was run out in the last over, 133 looked too little.

Daryn Dupavillon, the South African quick, angled one in to bowl Rob Yates with his fourth delivery. Mousley picked up three quick boundaries but Alex Davies, having uppercut Dupavillon for four and lifted Pat Brown for an audacious six on the leg side was caught at midwicket as Brown exacted instant revenge. Mousley slog-swept Madsen for six and the Bears were 50 for two from six.

Patel and fellow spinner Mitch Wagstaff applied the brakes, conceding just 29 in six overs bowling in tandem, but with 55 needed after 12 overs, and eight wickets in hand, the Bears were still favourites, more so after Mousley and Hain plundered 21 from the next two before Mousley swept Patel to go to fifty from 42 balls.

The requirement was down to six from 17 balls by the time Brown bowled Hain after a 42-ball innings containing only one boundary. Mousley cut Chappell for his seventh four to complete the win.

All photos courtesy of Nigel Parker / format94.

Dan Mousley said: “I thought we bowled brilliantly and it was nice from my point of view to get us over the line.

“It helps batting with Hainy, he helps me to keep calm. I’m the one trying to hit everything for six and he’s telling me to give myself a little bit of time and not rush things.

“I did not have a clue that it was a T20 career best. I was more nervous to be honest about getting it right and getting us over the line. It was a nice relief because I haven’t scored the volume of runs I would have liked to this season.

“The seamers up front were brilliant and the spinners were outstanding. We contained them really well, we were just trying to squeeze them in the middle and that brought the rewards. We were really chuffed at the halfway stage.

“We feel like we’re in a good place. We dusted ourselves down really well after we lost two on the bounce last week, no one dropped their heads. We know we can beat anybody in the group and it is just about trying to be 100 per cent as many times as we can.”