If not with the bat, then the Bears sent a clear enough statement to the rest of the north group in the T20 Blast following their second win in as many days at the beginning of the 2024 campaign. They prevailed over Notts Outlaws by 22 runs having successfully defended a modest 149, in what was the second instalment of the (sort of) season-commencing Blast Off. Danny Briggs took home the champers, recognised for his important breakthrough at the top of the Notts innings after they'd motored to 54/0 in the chase.
Briggs' 2/26 sparked the collapse - or rather the applaudable fightback - from the Bears, who won this match in a totally different fashion to their victory 24 hours earlier over Durham. There, they'd won the toss, skittled their hosts and replied with moderate ease. Come and join our Bears Facebook group here! Here, the Bears as a collective had to tap into all sorts of skill-sets; the experience of Richard Gleeson, who book-ended the innings, the metronome spin of Messrs Briggs, Lintott and Mousley and the excellent fielding abilities across the board.
Jacob Bethell took one glorious catch on the Eric Hollies boundary, but in truth the Bears were electric in the field, as they knew they had to be in order to give themselves a chance. "It was a different win to yesterday," a jubilant Briggs said. "In a way it was more satisfying because last night we blew them away and we could manage the second half.
Tonight we were a bit short with the bat and it was a lot more of .
