Report: Bears v Gloucestershire, Second XI T20
Bears made light work of their opening Second XI T20 fixture, as an experienced team brushed aside Gloucestershire by 72 runs at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.
With counties preparing for the final round of their LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures, the Bears are already in Vitality Blast mode ahead of Blast Off – a new double-header at Edgbaston Stadium on Saturday 20 May.
The first ever Vitality Blast Off, which will launch next summer’s T20 competition, will see four teams compete in two matches as part of an action-packed day of T20 cricket.
Birmingham Bears will host Yorkshire Vikings and Derbyshire Falcons face Lancashire Lightning, with a host of international stars set to be in action. And fans will also enjoy live music and entertainment throughout the day.
Therefore, it was no surprise to see many of the players who are pushing for a place on Saturday look to get overs or time in the middle under their belt.
Put in to bat, Jacob Bethell top scored with 47 (29 balls, 2×4, 4×6) with Alex Davies (43), Rob Yates (37) and Dan Mousley combining as a top three to help reach 201/6.
A chaseable target in the Birmingham sunshine, the Bears seamers never let the visitors out of there grasp, restricting Gloucestershire to 46/2 from eight overs and 81/4 from 14 overs.
At that point, the 202 needed was out of sight, with the Bears continuing to rotate their bowlers to hold Gloucestershire to 129/8.
With the ball, there were two wickets for Hassan Ali – who was on a hat-trick, Jake Lintott and Craig Miles, with Chris Woakes taking a solitary wicket 24 hours after finding out he’s returning to the England Test side next month.
Bears return to the same venue tomorrow (Wednesday) to play Northants at 11.30am and 3pm.
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.