Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann partnered for a century to take Leicestershire beyond Yorkshire; Chris Benjamin’s half-century helps Birmingham Bears beat Durham; Tim David’s quickfire 50 lifts Lancashire to win over Worcestershire; also wins for Middlesex and Somerset.
Chris Benjamin was at the heart of the Bears’ win over Durham
Chris Benjamin’s impressive half-century ignited a fight for the Birmingham Bears as they cruised to a five-wicket Vitality Blast win over Durham at Edgbaston on Sunday.
Chasing the visitors 158-9, the Bears were reeling at 36-4 before Benjamin took control with 68 no outs, from 36 balls with six fours and four sixes, in a position of 85 in 42 balls with Adam Hose. (29).
Durham opted to hit, but 158 looked under par on a good batting pitch. Only Paul Coughlin (40 of 33 balls) and Michael Jones (21) went over 20 while Henry Brookes took 3-38, Danny Briggs two of 23 and Craig Miles two of 29.
Brydon Carse then hit twice early to put the Bears under pressure before Benjamin decided the game with a display of hitting power that peaked with a nine-ball 37-round run as the Bears reached 162-5. of 16.5 overs.
Having been cut to 36-4 in response, the Bears crossed the line behind Benjamin’s 22-ball half-century and captain Carlos Brathwaite’s undefeated 23 at number seven to wrap things up.
Reigning Vitality Blast champions Kent fell to their third straight loss when Tom Alsop’s unbeaten 65 from 30 balls in his first T20 innings carried Sussex to their first win of the campaign at the County Ground on Sunday.
Alsop, on loan from Hampshire, lifted the Sharks to 171-5 as the home team won by four runs while the Spitfires went 167-for-seven in response.
Kent’s margin of defeat was as slim as it was because George Linde took 22 runs from the final, bowled by George Garton, including a final six ball, to finish a remarkable unbeaten 38 from 13 balls.
Ravi Bopara went 2-23 from his four overs, although it was Alsop’s earlier surge with the bat that proved decisive as he fired three sixes and six fours after entering at number five.
Qais Ahmad was the best Kent bowler at 2-23 with his leg spin, claiming the wicket from Luke Wright for 43.
Kent’s response took an immediate hit when Daniel Bell-Drummond dropped for a first-ball duck to Delray Rawlins, before Zak Crawley made two after cutting goalkeeper Mohammad Rizwan.
Sam Billings and Joe Denly combined for 60 in an effort to steady the ship until the Spitfires captain was caught by Bopara for 31. Denly followed up two overs later when he was caught bowling by Bopara for 33 to leave Kent 75-4.
Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann’s partnership of the century led Leicestershire to a shock 31-run Vitality Blast victory over Yorkshire at Headingley.
The pair put up 109 as the Foxes fended off a tricky start to set up Yorkshire 189 to win.
Dawid Malan’s half-century and other impressive innings from England’s recent Test squad Harry Brook gave the Vikings hope, but Leicestershire secured their first win of the competition.
Leicestershire’s recovery to its 188-7 total was impressive after losing three wickets inside the power play, with Scott Steel, Hamish Rutherford and Arron Lilley caught deep.
Ackermann eventually went 56-for-33 to leave his side 160-5 when he was pinned by goaltender Tom Kohler-Cadmore, before Patel went 57-for-37 after being pinned by Adam Lyth, both falling to the pins of Jordan Thompson (3-34).
Lyth offered early hope to the Yorkshire chase on 24-for-14, only for two wickets in two overs to push the Vikings back.
England duo Malan and Joe Root shared a half-century position to guide Yorkshire to 77 for two at the halfway point with another 112 needed, only for Naveen-ul-Haq (4-34) and Ben Mike ( 3-16) will frustrate the hosts. as they fell short at 157-9.
Thilan Walallawita and Joe Cracknell made headlines as Middlesex made it three wins from three at Vitality Blast with a four-wicket win over Glamorgan at Radlett.
Left arm spinner Walallawita, 23, returned a career best of 3-18 as the visitors were eliminated for 168 on the last ball of their innings.
Toby Roland-Jones cleaned up the tail at 4-22, with Marnus Labuschagne leading scorer for Glamorgan on 38.
Cracknell, 22, underlined his growing reputation in this format with a tremendous 47, while Max Holden contributed a quick 41 when Middlesex, minus Eoin Morgan, who was injured while the hosts were on the pitch, chased the target with something for spare.