MEET THE NEW KP
Big-hitting Hose can fire Birmingham to T20 glory
AThe Birmingham Bears team that walks out on home turf to face Glamorgan in the first Twenty20 finals day semi-final this morning will be barely recognisable from the one that started this summer’s NatWest Blast. They won the tournament three years ago but only four of that XI remain after Giles acknowledged their cricket was stuck in its ways and in drastic need of greater dynamism.
Of the six T20 debuts Warwickshire have handed out this summer, Adam Hose provided the most spectacular, his 76 off 43 balls securing a victory over Lancashire that kick- started the surge for the latter stages. At 24, and after spells at four counties, he had broken through at Somerset. But the lure of a three-year contract saw him journey up the M5 in mid-season.
‘It’s early days but he is a hairs up on the back of your neck sort of player. Some of the shots he hits, some of his attributes are very similar to KP’s (below). He is the same sort of size, has long levers, hits the ball out in front of himself well, and hits it miles when he gets in,’ Giles said.
‘There’s every chance we have got a bit of a golden nugget here. He’s done it the tough way but we are delighted to have him.’ One of his five sixes against Lancashire landed in the top tier of Edgbaston’s monstrous pavilion end. ‘ I’ve never seen anyone do that before,’ Giles added.
The arrivals of Hose and Dominic Sibley from Surrey accelerated the team’s transformation. It began earlier this year when Giles drafted in New Zealand all-rounders Grant Elliott and Colin de Grandhomme. Elliott was a long-term target, the big-hitting de Grandhomme was acquired on reputation. No player in T20 history can match his career strike rate of 168.98.
‘After the early games I talked about throwing more punches. In the modern game you can’t have a breather, you have to keep going. The rate at which T20 is moving, it’s almost reinventing itself every week now.
‘You have to be prepared to play with a philosophy that means you are consistently taking it to the opposition. Sometimes it’s not going to come off but you need the personnel who can push that upper limit.’
Nottinghamshire — who face Hampshire in today’s second semi-final — did so when they hit an astonishing 106 runs from six powerplay overs versus Durham last month. But if a ‘slugfest’ ensues this evening, Giles is confident the hosts can compete. He was not at the start of the tournament.
To get into such a position has taken huge sacrifice. Ian Bell was dropped for the final group match and immediately resigned the club captaincy in all forms. The former England batsman was also sidelined for the last-eight victory over Surrey. ‘It was extremely difficult (the decision) but it was based on winning the next game. He was disappointed but the bigger picture is always more important, and that is trying to win games,’ Giles said. The portents for a home victory appear good. The Bears snuck in the back door to win in 2014. Two years ago, Giles’ Lancashire qualified for the quarter-finals with victory in their final group game and went on to lift the trophy. ‘We have momentum, definitely. But we know on finals day it takes one bloke to have his day to ruin yours,’ he reflected.