Blast Report: Bears at Vikings
A powerful Yorkshire batting performance led them to a high-scoring Vitality Blast win over Birmingham Bears at Emerald Headingley.
The Vikings amassed 226 for eight before a 40-minute rain delay revised the Bears target to 208 from 18 overs, only for them to post 176 for four.
Vikings opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed 73 off 30 balls to underpin a total including 49 for New Zealand captain Kane Williamson.
The Bears conceded 200 plus for the fourth game running on the way to a 31-run defeat on DLS.
Adil Rashid claimed one for 19 from three overs and received a decent reception from the home crowd following his controversial England Test selection.
Yorkshire have now claimed eight points from their first six matches and Birmingham five from seven with four defeats.
England Lions man Kohler-Cadmore missed last week’s Roses defeat with Test captain Joe Root available. But he made the ideal return with five fours and six sixes.
Yorkshire, who elected to bat, blazed away to 92-1 after six overs, the highest power play score anywhere in this season’s Blast.
Kohler-Cadmore shared 63 for the first wicket with Adam Lyth, who hit 40 off 16 balls – ended when he miscued England’s Chris Woakes to short third-man.
Woakes, continuing his return to fitness following quad and knee injuries, conceded 54 from his four overs whilst also getting Gary Ballance (35) caught in the deep.
Kohler-Cadmore reached 50 off 20 balls and contributed to further partnerships of 29 and 43 for the second and third wickets by David Willey and Williamson, the latter who then shared 53 for the fourth wicket with Ballance as they all maintained the early momentum.
The former was bowled trying to smash Olly Stone to leg as the score fell to 135 for three in the eleventh over.
The Vikings reached 200 for the second time in this season’s Blast, added to four times last year, before Willey bowled three dots at Ed Pollock prior to the rain delay.
When they came back out, Pollock found his range and hit two sixes in 22 off 12 balls before falling caught behind off Willey when he miscued an uppercut (29 for one in the third).
Rashid, who was out for a golden duck in the last over of the Yorkshire innings, then struck with his fourth ball, in the seventh over, to trap Sam Hain lbw as the Bears fell to 58 for two with the rate escalating.
They reached the 10-over mark at 81 for two, needing 127 more to win from eight with Bell still there.
But pacy Liam Plunkett had him caught at mid-on for 42 as the score fell to 99 for three in the 12th, and the innings drifted from then onwards.
Plunkett rate removed Adam Hose for 43 before Tim Bresnan was left defending 46 off the last over.
