Adam Hose began his Bears career in perfect style with an innings of 76 off 43 balls to lead his new side to a five wicket win over the Lancashire Lightning.
The 24-year-old, who only made the move to Edgbaston this week from Somerset, smashed seven boundaries and five maximums during a stunning innings. Jos Buttler was the counterpart star of Lancashire’s innings with an exceptional 80* off 43 balls.
Birmingham’s disciplined bowling and fielding meant that the Lightning did not reach three figures until the 14th over for the loss of four wickets.
Liam Livingstone (12) lost his middle stump advancing to Keith Barker (3-0-25-2) in the 3rd before Arron Lilley (18) and Karl Brown (16) both departed through exceptional catches from Grant Elliot (3-0-25-1) and Aaron Thomason (3-0-28-1), each returning the favour off each other’s bowling.
Buttler and Dane Vilas (14) ran hard in place of regular boundaries in a partnership of 28 before both were left stranded in the middle of the wicket after a horrible mix-up. Colin de Grandhomme kept his cool to dismiss Vilas with a direct hit.
The Bears would have no doubt preferred to see the back of Buttler who reached his fifty in the 18th over, coming off 33 balls and including just three boundaries. The England man pulled out all his tricks from there on to take 30 runs off the last two overs – including three more boundaries and two maximums to take his side up to a good score of 174-8.
Birmingham would have been disappointed to see Lancashire pass 160 after restricting them for much of the innings. The Lightning’s continued momentum saw them pick up both openers in the first three overs with Ed Pollock (10) and Ian Bell (6) falling to Tom Bailey (3-0-28-2) and Ryan McLaren (3.4-0-34-1).
Sam Hain (22) and Hose reignited the innings brilliantly during a partnership of 52 inside six overs. After Hain was trapped lbw to the impressive Matt Parkinson (4-0-24-2) – Hose prospered in another partnership of 69 inside eight overs with Elliot – Hose hitting Stephen Parry (3-0-31-0) into the fourth tier of the pavilion the highlight.
Hose fell in the 16th over, stumped off Parkinson, but had already got his side well ahead of the rate. Still, Elliot (45*) guided the Bears home with a mature innings to see the Bears to a fifth win in the blast and leapfrog the lightning into the top four.