Birmingham Bears 202 for six (Yates 71, Hain 48*, Davies 46) beat Northamptonshire XXX (Vasconcelos 65, Miles 4-29) by 21 runs

Yates scored 71 off 53 balls (eight fours, one six) and shared a 100-run opening partnership with Alex Davis (46 off 29 balls) a file for the Bears towards the Steelbacks.

Freddie Heldreich stemmed the movement of runs by eradicating Davies and Australian dangerman Glenn Maxwell for 0 within the house of two balls, however whereas AJ Tye picked up two wickets within the closing overs, Sam Hain blasted 48 off simply 27 balls to push the Bears previous 200.

Willey conceded only a single off a good opening over earlier than Yates and Davies went on the offensive. Davies (5 fours, one six) rode his luck amid a flurry of aggressive pictures because the Bears reached 55 on the finish of the Powerplay.

Davies provided a troublesome probability on 23 which Tye could not maintain onto operating again. He then miscued Tom Taylor over the keeper's head earlier than Taylor himself put down an easy probability off Heldreich.

In between these moments of fortune he combined some basic drives and late cuts with big pictures over the infield, swinging James Sales excessive over deep sq. leg for the primary six of the innings.

Yates who had capitalised early on with consecutive boundaries off stray legside balls from Taylor, duly reached his half-century off 38 balls. He introduced up the Bears' 100 on the midway mark by putting Tye for 4 after which swinging him excessive over superb leg for an large six.

But Heldreich held his nerve to strike with the primary two balls of the eleventh over. First Davies was sharply stumped by McManus earlier than Maxwell was effectively caught by Tye on the boundary as he aimed a giant six down the bottom.

Yates was joined by Hain in a stand of 49, the previous disdainfully smashing Taylor straight down the bottom and smacking him via the covers for consecutive boundaries earlier than meting out comparable remedy to Heldreich. Yates' innings lastly ended when he pulled Willey excessive to deep midwicket the place Cobb took a surprising leaping catch.

Dan Mousley celebrates the wicket of Josh Cobb•Getty Images

The subsequent two wickets each fell to boundary catches by Taylor off Tye eradicating Dan Mousley, and Chris Benjamin. Ed Barnard fell to a boundary catch off Willey within the penultimate over earlier than Hain struck Tye for 4 and a six within the ultimate over to take the Bears previous 200.

Vasconcelos motored via his innings. He punched dismissively down the bottom and reduce powerfully as he reached his half-century off 30 balls. He was notably extreme on Mousley, hitting him for 3 consecutive boundaries in his first over and two in his second.

Such was Vasconcelos' dominance that Chris Lynn solely made 7 out of their opening stand of 41 in 4.2 overs earlier than the Australian was caught off Miles earlier than Josh Cobb additionally fell cheaply to Mousley.

Vasconcelos seemed effectively set earlier than he sliced one from Miles straight to level with the hosts 81 for 3 within the tenth over. Saif Zaib performed a cameo of 14 however was caught off Miles.

Willey and McManus placed on 35 in 3.3 overs earlier than the skipper was caught off Briggs at backward level. McManus picked up the mantle, carving Maxwell away for six and a 4 earlier than he was caught on the boundary trying one other large shot. When Graeme White turned Miles' fourth sufferer, the sport was nearly over.