CRICKET – Birmingham Bears start T20 Blast campaign with back-to-back wins

BIRMINGHAM Bears have made the perfect start to their T20 Blast campaign with back-to-back wins against Durham and Notts Outlaws.

After managing to win by six wickets at Durham’s Riverside Ground, the Bears then claimed a thrilling 22-run win against the Outlaws at Edgbaston.

And the Bears are the only team in the Northern Group with a perfect record after two games.

Against Durham, Birmingham won the toss and elected to bowl as openers Graham Clark and Alex Lees (both 14) made 30 runs in the first three overs.

However, a flurry of wickets put the Bears in command as Birmingham remarkably took five wickets at the cost of just 14 runs to leave Durham in trouble 44-5.

Only Michael Jones (29) and Ashton Turner (17) hit double figures from the remaining batsmen as all Birmingham bowlers took wickets with Durham from just 101.

Hasan Ali (3-20) starred, while Richard Gleeson (2-12), Danny Briggs (2-16), Jake Lintott (1-14), Dan Mousley and George Garton (1-18) were all between the wickets.

In reply, Bears opener Robert Yates (29) and Sam Hain (27 not out) scored most of the runs supported by Jacob Bethell (18) and Alex Davies (13) as Birmingham reached the required total in 16, 1 over.

And Birmingham produced another superb display of bowling and fielding to see off Notts at home.

Opener Yates (68) again impressed as he hit eight boundaries including four sixes in a 48-ball innings.

However, no other Bears batsman made more than 16 with Birmingham all out for 149 in the final over and Olly Stone (3-30) impressed with the ball for Notts.

In reply, the visitors made a promising start as openers Joe Clarke (28) and Alex Hales (32) put on 54 runs in the first six overs before Mousley (3-22) made a crucial breakthrough.

Some quickfire wickets left the Outlaws on 71-4 as Briggs (2-26) and Lintott (2-29) both made inroads.

And Jacob Bethell produced a stunning diving catch to dismiss Tom Moores (6) while Outlaws batsman Matt Montgomery (33) kept his side in the game before falling to the bowling of Ali (2- 22).

The Bears eventually bowled out Notts for 127 in the final over as Mousley claimed two wickets in as many balls.

Birmingham continue their T20 Blast campaign against Lancashire on Friday, June 7, with the match kicking off at 6.30pm at Old Trafford.

Are you on Facebook?

Like or follow our Facebook page – facebook.com/StratObserver to get daily news updates straight to your news feed.