Yorkshire collapse and Alex Davies knock kickstart Bears' T20 Blast campaign
The Bears' T20 Blast campaign for 2025 creaked into life on Friday night as they secured a well earned six-wicket victory over Yorkshire Vikings at Edgbaston. Captain Alex Davies' knock of 65, as part of a century partnership with opener Tom Latham, ensured the Bears would ease to their target of 165 after wickets for Jake Lintott, Moeen Ali and Danny Briggs in the first innings.
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The Bears had made two changes to this side who were taken apart by Durham; Hassan Ali, whose arrival was delayed, is finally here. Dan Mousley, who has had various commitments recently with County Club Select XIs and England Lions, was also involved. It looked a sensible bet to bowl first in the gloomy conditions and look to restrict Yorkshire.
Davies, orchestrating as ever behind the stumps, switched up his bowling unit frequently, never allowing the opening pair to settle - although Dawid Malan eventually became accustomed to the conditions and played some typically authoritative shots.
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Briggs, who has been frustrated and made to wait for his chance this season having not had a look in in the County Championship, has proved his worth time and again in this competition. This was a typical Briggs bowling performance, in which he clean bowled Will Luxton and later trapped wicket keeper Harry Duke in front. His four returned figures of 2/28.
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George Garton was tight in his opening over, but Davies had options and favoured spin. Briggs, Mousley, Lintott and Moeen bowled 15 of the 20 overs between them, with Hassan making different contributions; he took a smart catch when wheeling backwards to remove James Wharton, who had mended the innings with Malan, and then ran out Matt Milnes off his own bowling.
Lintott was a tad more expensive but made big breakthroughs in the middle order as Yorkshire rather collapsed 139/2 to 146/7. At one stage, with Malan well set and the foundations in place, the visitors were on for a big score well in excess of 180, but the flurry of wickets halted their momentum.
This was an important fightback from the Bears, who couldn't defend 225 at Trent Bridge a week ago and who were well beaten by Durham at Edgbaston on Saturday. It could yet to be significant when they reflect on this campaign as a whole. While they couldn't get Malan, who carried his bat when posting 69 not out from 48 deliveries, they'll have been satisfied with what they left themselves to chase.
It was a brilliantly negotiated powerplay from captain Davies and overseas Latham. Less than a week ago, on this very pitch, they were 4/3 - there'd be no such alarm bells here. What was a modest Edgbaston crowd were entertained with a flurry of boundaries - and admittedly poor fielding from Yorkshire players out on the rope, which incidentally was cleared unapologetically by both openers.
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With Yorkshire ragged, the Bears cashed in. Davies passed 50, leading the charge but aptly complemented by the equally classy Latham. The pair put on 100 inside 11 overs, though Latham did fall short of his own half century when he whipped the ball straight to deep mid-wicket.
Mousley was promoted to three and found the gaps on a couple of occasions to inch the Bears closer to victory, but he succumbed when Duke took a screamer of a catch off the bowling of Matt Milnes. It was a pity that Davies, who scored 65, couldn't see the Bears over the line either when he holed out to cow corner.
Yorkshire dragged it back further when they removed Moeen, tempted into the deep when the Bears still needed 17 from 13. As per, Sam Hain and Ed Barnard came to the rescue at the death to see the Bears home. They're up and running.
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