Bears At The Double

Chris Woakes, Imran Tahir and Ian Bell shone in the Derby gloaming as Warwickshire defeated the high-flying Derbyshire Falcons in the Friends Provident t20.

That makes it two from two for the Bears in Twenty20 cricket so far in 2010, but it took a gutsy all-round team performance to overcome the previously unbeaten Falcons on their own turf in a televised Sky game.

A magnificent bowling effort was spearheaded by Chris Woakes, who bowled his four overs straight through at a cost of just nine runs, the most economical bowling ever by a Warwickshire player in this form of the game.

The big-hitting Loots Bosman was dismissed without scoring in the first over and the Falcons’ other overseas star, Aussie Chris Rogers, was gone a few minutes later. The home side rebuilt steadily but never managed to break the shackles, ending at 120-4 from their 20, Imran Tahir continuing his great Twenty20 form this year by picking up 1-20.

The Bears had a similarly poor start and were in some trouble at 25-3 in the fifth, Jonathan Trott going third ball on his return from England duty. But England’s Old Trafford centurion, Ian Bell, batted with a confidence that made light of the chilly, bowler-friendly conditions to hit a brilliant 66 from 56 balls. Bell went before the end but an asking rate of just six an over was always within range and victory was assured with four balls to spare.

So it’s four points out of four, and roll on Friday and a mouth-watering clash with the Durham Dynamos at Edgbaston.