Bears face crucial T20 triple test
BIRMINGHAM Bears visit Leicestershire Foxes today at the start of a crucial flurry of three away games in four days which will make or break their Vitality Blast T20 qualification hopes.
First up, Birmingham face the Foxes at the Fischer County Ground (6.30pm) seeking to extend their unbeaten record in the format at the venue. Of six T20 visits there, the Bears have won five with the other washed out.
They will then continue their mini-tour of the East Midlands when they face Derbyshire Falcons tomorrow (7pm) before visiting Northants Steelbacks on Sunday (2.30pm).
After just two wins from the first seven games, Birmingham are playing catch-up in the North Group. But while firstteam coach Jim Troughton admits they did not want to be in that position, he knows that his side is still right in the qualification race with half of the groups games still remaining.
“We have come up short in some games which has put us under some pressure,” he said. “That’s not the position we wanted to be in but neither is it irretrievable. In the past we have recovered from a slow start to qualify from the group and that’s very much our aim now.
“These three away games give us a great chance to get on a roll. We want to come out of them with six points which would put us right back in the mix. I have no doubt at all that we are capable of doing that and building the sort of momentum that has taken us a long way in the tournament in recent years.
“We have match-winners in the squad and not just with the bat but with the ball too. Our bowlers have suffered in T20 this year but they are not alone. With the weather like it has been there have been a lot of good batting pitches and a lot of rapid scoring.
“At the start of the group stage we were without Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and Aaron Thomason and it’s hard for bowlers to come straight back in after injury and get straight into rhythm. But they are high quality bowlers and that quality will show. I would be worried if I was looking around the squad and asking ‘where are our potential match-winners?’ But we have got plenty.”