T20 Blast: Birmingham Bears’ spinners shine as Lancashire are hammered at Edgbaston

Birmingham Bears made it three wins out of three in the T20 Blast as their spinners took all 10 wickets to set up a crushing seven-wicket win over previously-unbeaten Lancashire at Edgbaston.

Captain Alex Davies (51 not out) and Rob Yates (30) compounded Lancashire’s misery with a quick-fire half-century stand as the home side cruised to 99-3 to seal a seven-wicket win to go top of North Group.

The game between two of the heavyweights in the group was one of five played on a gloriously sunny Bank Holiday.

Like the Bears, Worcestershire Rapids maintained their 100% record with a comfortable 33-run victory over winless Leicestershire at New Road, while Northamptonshire achieved their first success, beating Derbyshire by six wickets.

But, in the late game, Durham missed the chance to also make it three wins from three as an Alex Hales-inspired Notts Outlaws proved too strong at Chester-le-Street, winning by five wickets with four balls remaining.

In South Group, Gloucestershire held their nerve superbly to pick up their first win of the competition, edging out Middlesex by two runs in a thrilling game at Merchant Taylors School.

Lancashire batters in a spin

Something had to give at Edgbaston as the Bears and Lancashire put their unbeaten starts on the line.

It was the visitors, though, who regretted choosing to bat first on a turning pitch as Josh Bohannon was bowled by Maxwell and Luke Wells brilliantly caught off his own bowling by Mousley, diving to his right, to leave them 14-2 off three overs.

In-form New Zealand all-rounder Daryl Mitchell (18) threatened a counter-attack but holed out to deep cover off Lintott, two balls after hitting the left-arm wrist spinner for six.

Big-hitters Colin de Grandhomme (1) and captain Liam Livingstone (12) also failed to fire, both falling in a clatter of three wickets for 10 runs in 14 balls as Lancashire continued to be suffocated by the Bears’ canny slow bowlers.

The introduction of Briggs then snuffed out any hope of a respectable total for Lancashire, as the slow left-armer got rid of Tom Hartley (18) to another stunning catch at short third by Henry Brookes.

He then cleaned up the tail with three wickets in four balls as Lancashire were bowled out for fewer than 100 for only the third time in T20 cricket – with 31 balls still remaining.

Former Lancashire batter-wicketkeeper Davies, who swapped Old Trafford for Edgbaston ahead of last season, made sure his old club never had a chance of making the run-chase uncomfortable.

He cracked a half-century off 36 balls as the Bears powered home with 34 balls to spare, despite the cheap departures of in-form Sam Hain (8) and Maxwell (2).

Rapids keep winning run going against the Foxes

At New Road, Worcestershire were indebted to a brilliant 69 from Kashif Ali as he breathed some much-needed momentum into their faltering innings.

Coming in at 30-3 half-way through the fourth over, Kashif unfurled some glorious strokes on his way to a maiden T20 half-century as he added 45 with Adam Hose (13) for the fourth wicket and 55 for the fifth off 38 balls with wicketkeeper Ben Cox (28).

Kashif perished, caught at deep square leg after hitting seven fours and three sixes, but Pakistan leg-spinner Usama Mir continued his fine all-round form with some more lusty hitting as he clubbed 32 off 15 balls as the Rapids added 49 off their last four overs to post a competitive 183-7.

Leicestershire made a decent start and were 70-1 at the start of the 10th over, having lost just Sol Budinger (8) to New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell.

But Nick Welch (37) was caught in the deep off Rapids captain Brett D’Oliveira, who then cleaned up Colin Ackermann three balls later.

Mir (2-33), in his final appearance of his three-game spell with the Rapids, had Rishi Patel (42) stumped by Cox to leave Leicestershire 102-4.

The visitors’ never really recovered as the Rapids bowled and fielded with discipline to chip away at the increasingly desperate Foxes batters and they finished on 150-9 as Pat Brown recovered well from conceding 13 off his first over to end with 3-25.

Hales hammers Outlaws to victory

Hales was the hero for Notts as they completed a perfectly timed chase to overhaul Durham’s 168-6.

Wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson top-scored with a 38-ball 50 for the hosts, with decent supporting roles from Graham Clark (29), Ashton Turner (27) and Michael Jones (26).

But Outlaws skipper Steven Mullaney (3-28) dismissed both Clark and Jones in taking half of the wickets to fall in a miserly spell and, although Conor McKerr’s three overs went for 33 runs, he picked up two wickets to help keep Durham in check.

In reply, Joe Clarke then smashed 20 from 12 balls as he and Hales got Notts off to a flying start and when Matthew Montgomery became the third man out, the visitors were already 74-3 after 6.3 overs.

But Hales (65 not out) mixed some typical brutish hitting with smart gameplay, and a superb cameo from Tom Moores (32 from 19 balls) helped ensure Notts got over the finishing line for a seventh consecutive T20 win over Durham.

Steelbacks secure first win against Derbyshire

Wayne Madsen’s third half-century in a row was the backbone of Derbyshire’s 151-6 at the County Ground.

Seeing his side slump to 49-4, Madsen made 57 and received terrific support from wicketkeeper Brooke Guest (49) as the pair put on 92 – a record for the fifth wicket for Derbyshire in T20 cricket.

But, in the face of some tight Steelbacks bowling, their total never looked enough and so it proved.

After a duck in his last innings, Australia star Chris Lynn rediscovered his touch with a run-a-ball 31 as new skipper David Willey (31) and Saif Zaib (37 not out) helped break the back of their victory charge as the Steelbacks cantered home with 12 balls left.

Gutsy Gloucestershire hang on to beat Middlesex

Gloucestershire and Middlesex served up a thriller, but it was the visitors who achieved their first win.

After scores of 0 and 9, Miles Hammond returned to form with an innings of 59 off 42 balls as Gloucestershire posted 181-9 off their 20 overs – their highest total of the Blast so far.

Middlesex captain Stevie Eskinazi and Joe Cracknell got the home side off to a great start in their pursuit of victory with an opening stand of 78 off eight overs.

When Eskinzi had his middle stump sent back-flipping by Marchant de Lange for a lovely 54 off 38 balls, the home side were still well set on 115-4 with seven overs left.

When Luke Hollman cracked four boundaries off spinner Ollie Price, only 12 were needed off 13 balls.

Price bowled a sweeping Hollman round his legs for 39 for what looked like a consolation wicket, but left-arm seamer David Payne conceded only five runs off the penultimate over to set up a nervy finale.

With seven needed, fellow left-armer Matt Taylor bowled brilliantly, mixing up his pace and angles, as Middlesex could only scramble four off their first five balls.

Needing three off the final delivery, Taylor kept his cool as Ryan Higgins was run out attempting a bye, leaving Middlesex agonisingly short and still without that first victory.