Report: Bears Men vs Worcestershire Rapids, Vitality Blast
Bears took the local derby honours against Worcestershire Rapids with a thrilling one-wicket Vitality Blast victory in a low-scoring nerve-shredder at Edgbaston.
The Rapids floundered to 134 all out in 18.4 overs after being put in, in the face of the experienced Bears’ spin attack. Dan Mousley took a T20 best four for 19, Danny Briggs two for 20 and Jake Lintott two for 27 as no batter reached 30.
The Bears then scraped to 135 for nine with three balls to spare. Alex Davies (42, 24) supplied a violent start and, after Fateh Singh (three for 18) and Ben Dwarshuis (three for 32), forced a collapse, last pair Sam Hain (38 not out, 30) and Jake Lintott took the Bears over the line with three balls to spare.
Put in, the Rapids charged to 39 from 21 balls before Mousley struck twice in three balls. Seventeen-year-old Isaac Mohammed, a product of the Edgbaston youth system before joining Worcestershire earlier this year, showed his class with a glorious six over long off off Ed Barnard, but then missed a full toss and was bowled. Jake Libby, off-balance, sliced to extra cover, and it was three wickets for four runs from ten balls after Kashif Ali tried to pull Briggs and was bowled.
Adam Hose struck four fours to restore some momentum, but his demise accelerated the collapse. Hose chipped Mousley to deep mid-wicket, Gareth Roderick swept Lintott’s first ball into the gloves of wicketkeeper Alex Davies, and Ethan Brookes drove Briggs to extra cover to supply the bowler’s 300th wicket in all T20 competitions across the world.
Mousley’s fourth scalp arrived when Tom Taylor slogged to long on. Ben Dwarshuis socked Lintott for three successive sixes but hoisted the next ball to long off.
Eight wickets having fallen in 12 overs, the Rapids’ last two wickets found themselves with 26 balls at their disposal. They gathered 15 runs before Jacob Duffy holed out to Barnard to cap the catalogue of carelessness that was the Rapids’ innings.
The Bears soon lost Tom Latham, who skied a slog at Dwarshuis, but were put on course for victory by Davies’ cameo. The captain hit 34 of his 42 runs in fours and sixes before lifting Singh’s first ball to Taylor at long off.
The Bears then emulated the Rapids’ collapse. Taylor took another calm catch in the same position when Mousley attacked Duffy. They were still well in control, needing only six per over, but Moeen Ali and Barnard tried to go big but only sent up catches. When Barnard and Kai Smith, pinned lbw, fell to successive balls from Singh, the home side were 86 for six.
The Rapids were on a roll, but Hain and George Garton stayed calm under pressure to add 25 in five overs before the latter was brilliantly caught at point by Mohammed off Duffy. With 21 needed from three overs, the Bears were leaning on Hain.
Hassan Ali slogged six and glanced four from successive balls in the penultimate over from Dwarshuis to take his side within three of victory. The Pakistan star then skied to deep extra cover, but the Bears needed three from the last over, with Hain on strike – and the Bears’ talisman, with mature support from Lintott, saw his side home.
Bears all-rounder Dan Mousley said, “It wasn’t a great performance but the league table doesn’t show that – it’s four points that could prove crucial.
“We bowled beautifully. I was really pleased to pick up some wickets. I couldn’t buy a wicket early in the tournament so it was great to get some in the big derby that we all look forward to so much.
“It was a really good pitch so there is no reason why it should be a low-scoring game. I think it was a 180 pitch.
“Davo gave us a good start to the chase but then we lost wickets and Hainy batted brilliantly. He really held it together and played a beautiful knock which we needed because our batting wasn’t as good and forward-thinking as it usually is. But we got away with it.”
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