Despite holding the title of Vitality Blast's all-time leading wicket-taker, Danny Briggs is an unassuming character.
Taking wickets night after night, 246 to be exact, Briggs goes through his business with minimal fuss.
So it should be no surprise that whilst Moeen Ali’s first Bears century stole the headlines in the Bears final T20 group fixture, there was also a 10-year record broken by the left-arm spinner that night.
Briggs, who closed with 3/30, passed Jeetan Patel’s record for the most wickets claimed in a T20 Blast group stage (24).
It’s an impressive achievement, especially considering there have been no 4-fers and just one wicketless night. Consistency really is key
“I wasn’t aware, but I’m obviously proud,” said Briggs after the Bears defeated the Foxes by 72 runs. “I’ve been speaking to the lads, and you have years where you bowl well and don’t get rewarded, but this year it’s gone my way.
“It’s rare to take that amount of wickets without a 4-fer, because you have those great nights and take wickets in patches. Some nights you try everything and don’t get any, but that hasn’t happened too much. One thing I’ll always enjoy is taking wickets and it’s been a great year.”
Having reached the quarter-final stage for a fourth-straight year, and topping the group for a third successive effort, the Bears are very much the in-form Blast side, who need to overcome the all-important hurdle.
“There’s a different feel this year despite winning lots of games the last few years,” added the 33-year-old. “We’re topping the group constantly, which is a great achievement, and we’ve had to get better following the quarter-final defeats.”
And for the superstitious amongst us, Patel’s record was in 2014, the only time the Bears have lifted the Blast title…
“I hope you’re right,” Briggs replied when the stat was mentioned. “Jeets is a club legend, who did really well here, so that’s nice to go past that. Keeping up with the spin theme too is cool. Edgbaston is a nice play to bowl and a great place to play.
“The squad is in a good place and we’ve played well with bat and ball. We’ve got good depth and we’ve had a good few years where we’ve won a lot of games, so hopefully there’s three more to win.”
Over 13,500 tickets sold for T20 quarter-final
For a third year in a row, Bears have secured a home Vitality Blast quarter-final against Gloucestershire on Friday 6 September. And tickets are going fast!
Over 13,500 tickets have already been sold. Adults tickets are available for only £20, if purchased in advance, while U16s are £5.
