Scores, Match Reports, Results, Scorecards - Vitality Blast 2023 May 20th

Lancashire and Warwickshire came out on top, on the first day of the Vitality Blast 2023,at Edgbaston, today.

               

Derbyshire vs Lancashire, North Group, Vitality Blast

Derbyshire 179/5 (20 ov)

Lancashire 183/6 (19.2 ov)

Result - Lancashire won by 4 wickets

Scorecard           

 

Lancashire Lightning beat Derbyshire Falcons by four wickets to start the 2023 Vitality Blast campaign as they aim to end it – with victory at Edgbaston.

The Blast will conclude in Birmingham with Finals Day on July 15 and Lightning took an impressive first step towards that showpiece with an impressive win in the first half of the inaugural Blast Off opener in the Second City sunshine. 

The Falcons’ 179 for five, underpinned by Wayne Madsen’s classy 50 (35 balls), was solid, but no more than par on a good batting pitch.

Lightning then reached 183 for six with four balls to spare after Luke Wells laid the foundation with a violent 66 (35 balls), his maiden T20 half-century.

After the Falcons were put in, Luke Wood began with a wide but his second ball was straight enough to win an lbw decision against Haider Ali. Madsen was soon motoring to his 25th T20 half-century, though, supported by a sprinkling of lively, if fleeting, cameos.

Second-wicket pair Luis Reece (23, 21) and Madsen added 64 in 48 balls before the former fell lbw to Tom Hartley. Madsen struck four sixes on his way to a 34-ball fifty but perished next ball when he lifted Danny Lamb to Hartley at deep mid-wicket.

Leus du Plooy clubbed three sixes in a 16-ball 33 then fell in pursuit of another when he holed out to Wood. Anuj Dal (24, 20) and Aneurin Donald (30 not out, 19) connected with a blow or two and, after Mattie McKiernan clouted Tom Bailey for a last-over six, only the openers had failed to clear the ropes. The suspicion was, however, that it was a 200-pitch and the Falcons were a few short and so it proved. 

Even without star batters Keaton Jennings (injured) and Phil Salt, Liam Livingstone and Jos Buttler (IPL-duty) Lightning reeled in their target. They started briskly as Pakistan paceman Zaman Khan suffered a bracing welcome to the Blast. His first ball was hoisted far over long leg for six by Wells in an over that went for 18. Zak Chappell’s opening over then went for 15 as the Lightning thundered to 44 in three overs. 

Opening pair Wells and George Bell added 59 from 26 balls before the latter spliced Khan to mid on. Steven Croft was run out after finding himself at the same end as Wells but the opener thrashed a 24-ball fifty and left his side very strongly placed, needing 68 from ten overs, when he fell in familiar Blast fashion, caught in the leg-side deep.

Daryl Mitchell’s cleanly-hit 31 (19 balls) kept the Lightning foot on the Falcons’ throat and victory was closed out with more comfort than a last-over finish suggests.

 

Warwickshire vs Yorkshire, North Group, Vitality Blast

Warwickshire 200/6 (20 ov)

Yorkshire 166/10 (19.5 ov)

Result - Warwickshire won by 34 runs

Scorecard

 

The enduring excellence of Sam Hain sparkled yet again as Birmingham Bears began their Vitality Blast campaign with a comfortable 34-run victory over Yorkshire Vikings at Edgbaston.

In the second half of the inaugural ‘Blast Off’ double header (Lancashire beat Derbyshire in the first), the Bears were 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 attack then made light of the loss of Hassan Ali, who turned an ankle in the warm-ups. Chris Woakes struck twice in his first 11 balls as the Vikings dipped to 34 for five. There was no way back from there and they ended on 166 all out, Dawid Malan top-scoring with 43 from 29 and Henry Brookes taking four for 32.

The hefty margin of victory continued the recent history of less-than-tight Blast encounters between these teams, their previous two meetings having delivered a ten-wicket win for each.

The Vikings’ decision to bowl first appeared sound after the home side ended the powerplay on a modest 41 for three. Paul Stirling, returning to Birmingham on a short-term deal until Glenn Maxwell’s IPL commitments are over, played on to Matt Revis whose excellent first two overs cost just eight runs.

When Dom Bess’s third ball bowled Dan Mousley through an attempted slog-sweep, the Bears were 51 for four - a wobbly platform which Hain and Benjamin first shored up then built upon spectacularly with some ferocious strokeplay.

Revis returned to end the partnership second ball back when Benjamin ladled to deep square leg, but Hain remained to smite seven fours and four sixes. His last two fours, pulled to the raucous Hollies Stand side off Ben Mike, came from the last two balls of the innings to take the total to 200.

Woakes then got busy as the Vikings lost wickets to the fifth ball of each of the first four overs. The World Cup winner had Adam Lyth caught behind and forced Shan Masood to play on. Henry Brookes ended Jonny Bairstow’s input at seven from six balls, courtesy of a nick to the wicketkeeper, and bowled Will Fraine to leave the innings in disarray at 20 for four.  

That became 34 for five when Revis connected sweetly with a cover drive off Dan Mousley but was brilliantly caught at extra by Danny Briggs. Another fine catch, from Brookes diving forward at deep square off Craig Miles, removed Mike and when Jordan Thompson sent up a skier later in the over, Malan was left with  133 to find from ten overs and only the lower order for company.

After Malan fell lbw slog-sweeping at Jake Lintott, the quest for 102 from the last six overs proved beyond the Vikings’ reach despite some carefree swishing in a lost cause from Dom Bess (42 not out, 28) and Jafer Chohan (37, 20).

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