Vitality Blast Report: Bears v Glamorgan
The Bears made it back-to-back Vitality Blast wins with a 13-run victory over Glamorgan in a low-scoring contest at Edgbaston
On a cool, grey evening, the Bears were restricted to 142 for nine by an accurate visiting attack led by paceman Timm vann der Gugtem (4-0-27-3) and spinner Prem Sisodiya (4-0-19-2).
Only captain Will Rhodes, with a T20-best 46 (31 balls, six fours, one six), batted with any fluency until a late flurry from Olly Stone, with 22 not out from 18 balls, gave his side something to bowl at.
Glamorgan then mustered only 129 for eight in reply as Tim Bresnan (4-0-26-3) caused early damage before wrist-spinner Jake Lintott delivered a superb spell of 4-0-11-3, the fourth most economical full spell for the Bears in T20 cricket.
Birmingham chose to bat but found life difficult against a disciplined display from Glamorgan’s bowlers.
Dom Sibley returned to county duty brought a first-ball duck when he chipped a return catch to Sisodiya. After a tidy start from the spinners, paceman van der Gugten and Ruaidhri Smith each struck in their first overs, having Ed Pollock caught behind and Sam Hain trapped lbw respectively.
Adam Hose struck four fours in a 20-ball 23 but then, tied down in a Salter over that had brought only four singles, lifted a full toss to long off.
After Salter and Sisodiya each struck again to dismiss Michael Burgess and Tim Bresnan, Rhodes and Henry Brookes injected some momentum with a stand of 36 in 25 balls. Rhodes batted with intelligence and skill but perished when the Bears took a self-inflicted wound. Brookes called for an impossible second run and the captain was beaten by vann der Gugten’s throw.
Vann der Gugten, who had pooped a big Bears party three days earlier by bowling Ian Bell ten runs short of a century on his last first-class appearance, then added the wicket of Brookes, who skied to mid-off.
The Bears were in deep trouble at 118 for eight but Stone supervised some crucial tail-wagging that hep the game alive.
Glamorgan’s reply was hit early by a triple blow from Bresnan who bowled his spell straight through from the Birmingham End. Nick Selman, David Lloyd (21, 13 balls) and Chris Cooke paid the price for attacking good balls when they sent up catches into the infield.
Andy Balbirnie looked dangerous on his way to 30 (29 balls two fours, one six) but swept Lintott to deep square leg. The spinner took a stinging return catch to end Marchant de Lange’s counter-attack before it had begun and then spun one on to Callum Taylor’s stumps
From a promising 79 for four, suddenly Glamorgan were 83 for eight and the run-rate required soon escalated beyond the tail’s reach.
