Bears keep Blast cup hopes alive

Birmingham preserved their hopes of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Lancashire Lightning at Edgbaston.

Lancashire, already assured a place in the last eight, chose to bat but were bowled out for 102 with only Danny Lamb (24 from 18 balls) passing 20.

Oliver Hannon-Dalby inflicted most damage with four wickets for 20 runs form his four overs, although critical pressure was imposed by spinners Jeetan Patel (4-1-15-1) and Josh Poysden (4-0-18-1).

Birmingham then eased to 105 for three with 35 balls to spare after openers Ed Pollock (36 from 24 balls) and Ian Bell (34 from 36 balls) added 68 from 54 balls.

The Bears now need a favour from Northamptonshire. If the Steelbacks beat Yorkshire at Wantage Road, the Bears could still qualify from the North Group with victory over Worcestershire Rapids in the derby at Edgbaston on Friday.

The Lightning’s quest for a home quarter-final now also hinges on that match. A Rapids victory would earn them a home quarter-final, meaning Lancashire must travel.

The Lightning innings started well, 22 runs arriving from the first 17 balls, but then slumped to 59 for six.

Dane Vilas lifted Aaron Thomason to deep point, Arron Lilley became Grant Elliott’s 18th victim of this year’s Blast when he sliced to short third man and Josh Bohannon the 19th when he was trapped in front of his stumps.

Patel and Poysden increased the pressure, the latter bowling Steven Croft with a textbook leg-break, before catches from wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose did for James Faulkner, Lamb and Mark Watt as the Lightning lower-order flailed in vain before HannonDalby removed Matt Parkinson to seal a personal T20 best. Bell and Pollock made rapid inroads into the small target. Pollock played with controlled aggression and sent the score past 50 in the eighth over with 16 from three successive balls from Lilley. Pollock perished to a catch at long-on and Bell chipped Parkinson to mid-off but victory soon followed.