Sam Hain units Bears up for thumping win over Yorkshire
Birmingham Bears 200 for six (Hain 83) beat Yorkshire 166 (Brookes 4-32) by 34 runs
The enduring excellence of Sam Hain sparkled but once more as Birmingham Bears started their Vitality Blast marketing campaign with a snug 34-run victory over Yorkshire Vikings at Edgbaston.
In the second half of the inaugural ‘Blast Off’ double header (Lancashire beat Derbyshire within the first), the Bears had been lifted to an imposing 200 for six by a stand of 97 in 47 balls by Hain (83 not out, 46 balls) and Chris Benjamin (46, 28).
The Bears’ bowling assault then made mild of the lack of Hassan Ali, who turned an ankle within the warm-ups. Chris Woakes struck twice in his first 11 balls because the Vikings dipped to 34 for 5. There was no means again from there and so they ended on 166 all out, Dawid Malan top-scoring with 43 from 29 and Henry Brookes taking 4 for 32.
The hefty margin of victory continued the current historical past of less-than-tight Blast encounters between these groups, their earlier two conferences having delivered a ten-wicket win for every.
The Vikings’ choice to bowl first appeared sound after the house facet ended the powerplay on a modest 41 for 3. Paul Stirling, returning to Birmingham on a short-term deal till Glenn Maxwell’s IPL commitments are over, performed on to Matt Revis whose wonderful first two overs price simply eight runs.
When Dom Bess’s third ball bowled Dan Mousley via an tried slog-sweep, the Bears had been 51 for 4 – a wobbly platform which Hain and Benjamin first shored up then constructed upon spectacularly with some ferocious strokeplay.
Revis returned to finish the partnership second ball again when Benjamin ladled to deep sq. leg, however Hain remained to smite seven fours and 4 sixes. His final two fours, pulled to the raucous Hollies Stand facet off Ben Mike, got here from the final two balls of the innings to take the full to 200.
Woakes then received busy because the Vikings misplaced wickets to the fifth ball of every of the primary 4 overs. The World Cup winner had Adam Lyth caught behind and compelled Shan Masood to play on. Henry Brookes ended Jonny Bairstow’s enter at seven from six balls, courtesy of a nick to the wicketkeeper, and bowled Will Fraine to depart the innings in disarray at 20 for 4.
That grew to become 34 for 5 when Revis linked sweetly with a canopy drive off Dan Mousley however was brilliantly caught at further by Danny Briggs. Another nice catch, from Brookes diving ahead at deep sq. off Craig Miles, eliminated Mike and when Jordan Thompson despatched up a skier later within the over, Malan was left with 133 to search out from ten overs and solely the decrease order for firm.
After Malan fell lbw slog-sweeping at Jake Lintott, the search for 102 from the final six overs proved past the Vikings’ attain regardless of some carefree swishing in a misplaced trigger from Dom Bess (42 not out, 28) and Jafer Chohan (37, 20).