Clinical Bears land the points
Fri 24 Jun 2016
NatWest T20 Blast Matchday 7: Leicestershire Foxes v Birmingham Bears
REPORT | By Sam Chambers
A clinical all-round performance by Birmingham Bears consigned Leicestershire Foxes to an eight-wicket defeat in the NatWest T20 Blast at the Fischer County Ground this evening.
Some superb bowling and sharp fielding helped to restrict the Foxes to 125-7 before a devastating 29-ball half-century from Laurie Evans (8x4, 2x6) and some classy stroke-play from the evergreen Ian Bell eased the visitors home with more than four overs to spare.
Bears skipper Bell won the toss and invited the Foxes to bat first on an evening where showers were never too far away- a decision that would soon be vindicated. Oliver Hannon-Dalby (4-0-14-1) looked dangerous from the off, his superb first over conceding just one run to Foxes captain Mark Pettini.
The tall seamer soon got his reward for an outstanding start as Pettini (6) sent one high into the sky and Sam Hain took a good catch at cover in the third over.
It wasn't long until the equally dangerous looking Rikki Clarke (4-0-25-1) had some joy at the other end, too, removing Mark Cosgrove (3) after the left-hander chipped one to Evans at mid-wicket, leaving the Foxes at 11-2 in the fourth over.
Things would soon go from bad to worse for the hosts when, in the fifth over, Kevin O'Brien (2) called new batsman Cameron Delport through for a single, only for the striker to stay where he was.
New bowler Mark Adair, named in the Ireland squad for the first time for the upcoming one-day series against Afghanistan alongside O’Brien, was happy to take advantage. He swiftly seized on the ball before removing the all-rounder with a direct hit to leave the Foxes in a perilous position at 15-3.
However, after a short rain delay, Umar Akmal (31, 33b, 4x4) looked determined to make his mark in his last group appearance at the FCG. He played a couple of fine shots in the sixth over, first for a four through mid-wicket and then through cover point off the bowling of Clarke.
Despite Akmal's valiant efforts, the Bears' evening soon got even better as Adair dismissed Delport (2), caught at cover by Clarke, and the Foxes were 25-4 in the seventh.
The Foxes looked to Akmal and Lewis Hill to build a ship-steadying partnership, but it almost came to an end in the ninth over. Hill was given a reprieve by umpires David Millns and Billy Taylor who, after a brief conference, adjudged that the ball hadn't carried to Hain at deep square wicket off the right-arm off-spin of Jeetan Patel.
The first maximum of the Leicestershire innings came from Hill in the 10th over, launching Recordo Gordon over mid-wicket, with the partnership beginning to develop. Akmal then drove a beautiful shot through the off-side for four in the 11th over as the Foxes registered their 50.
Akmal continued to push the scoring on, pulling through mid-wicket for a boundary in the 12th over while Hill hit the spin of Ateeq Javid to the fence before playing a sumptuous reverse sweep off Adair past short third man for four.
He perished later for 25 off 24 balls in the 14th over to the same shot, caught behind by Luke Ronchi as the excellent Adair returned figures of 2-18 from his allotted overs.
Hill and Akmal's partnership of 53 left the Foxes in a slightly more promising position at 78-5 from 14, though they were now looking to push the run-rate on considerably after regrouping.
The task would be made more difficult, though, with Akmal falling shortly afterwards, edging Patel high towards backward point. Javid got under a chance that was far from straightforward, leaving the Foxes at 80-6.
With four overs remaining, Leicestershire looked to Tom Wells to start swinging the bat, and the big-hitter did his best to oblige, lifting one over short fine-leg off the bowling of Gordon in the 18th over.
Wells then drove one straight back at the bowler, presenting Gordon with what was a very difficult chance, but the bowler was unable to hold on to a shot struck with such ferocity.
Neil Dexter pulled one through deep square leg for six before surviving a run-out attempt on the very next ball, and Wells proceeded to hit one over mid-off for four as the Foxes looked to find the gaps in the Bears' field.
They moved into the final over on 116-6, though lost Dexter (14) to the first ball as he failed to beat Javid on the boundary off the bowling of Gordon. Some quick running from Wells (26*, 21b) and Raine (0*) helped to set the Bears 126 to win.
The Foxes would need to be in seriously miserly bowling form to defend the total but the Bears started positively as Hain clipped one to the ropes from McKay. The first over brought five runs, although Hain was the subject of a big lbw appeal during it.
The in-form Raine then came into bowl to England international Bell, who was starting to display some wonderful shots as he sent the ball crashing to the boundary in successive balls.
Raine then gave away a front-foot no-ball, Bell taking full advantage to smash a low full-toss straight down the ground for the first maximum of the Bears' innings as they plundered 18 from the over to move to 23-0 from the first two.
The Bears continued to score freely, taking another eight from the bowling of McKay, with the Bears' classy opening pair in fine fettle.
County looked to slow the visitors' charge, bringing Jigar Naik into the attack early. The irrepressible Hain, however, was in no mood to let up, playing a delicious reverse sweep to the boundary, before his skipper emulated his partner playing one to past third man to the ropes.
A measure of the Bears' dominance in the match was how long it took them to pass 50, reaching the mark in just 31 balls, while conversely it took the Foxes 65 balls to reach the same point. The half-century included seven fours and a six, as Bell and Hain played a delightful array of shots more accustomed to the longer form of the game.
O'Brien was introduced to the Foxes attack, coming into bowl the sixth over, and soon removed Hain for 26 from 21, who cut to backward point and the waiting hands of Akmal to bring about the end of a lovely innings that helped the away team to a good start.
Raine troubled the stumps of Porterfield (4) with a beauty of a delivery in the seventh over to peg back the Bears on 58-2, and the all-rounder caused Evans some real problems to lift the spirits of the Foxes' faithful, the over eventually yielding a solitary run.
Bell survived a stumping attempt with the first ball off the eighth over after some sharp work from Hill behind the stumps from the bowling of O'Brien, who helped to slow the Bears rate, though they still reached the halfway point in the commanding position of 73-2.
Evans would then begin to get in his stride, hitting the newly-introduced Dexter through backward point and mid-wicket for a pair of fours, the over going for 10 to leave Birmingham 90-2 from 12.
The number four, continuing his aggressive batting, smashed one high over mid-wicket for six off Wells to move to 99-2, before the measured Bell took a single off O'Brien in the 14th over to take the Bears past 100.
With just 20 needed from the final six overs, Birmingham could see the end in sight, and the appearance of Delport into the attack could not slow down the inevitable.
Evans lashed one back past O'Brien in the 16th over, following it up by clubbing the next ball through mid-off and then finishing in style with a six straight down the ground to complete a near-perfect performance from the Bears. His scintillating 52 from 29 and Bell's calm 36 from 39 maintained the visitors’ 100% record in this format at the FCG.
Leicestershire Foxes will be looking to immediately bounce back from the setback at Northants Steelbacks on Sunday, a game that starts at 2.30pm at Wantage Road.
Leicestershire bowling figures: McKay 3-0-22-0, Raine 4-0-31-1, Naik 1-0-9-0, O’Brien 3.3-0-31-1, Wells 2-0-16-0, Dexter 1-0-10-0.
* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph of Lewis Hill
