Bears Overcome Falcons

Darren Maddy held his nerve to strike a last-ball boundary and secure Warwickshire a six-wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons at Edgbaston on 25 June.

Bears skipper Jim Troughton won the toss and elected to field, and his decision was justified when Neil Carter accounted for the dangerous Loots Bosman and Wes Durtston with the score on 17. Chris Woakes backed up Carter’s opening burst to remove the big-hitting Chesney Hughes two deliveries later as Troughton clung on to a fine catch at backward-point.

With three wickets down Derbyshire consolidated through watchful innings from Greg Smith (30 off 33 balls) and Gary Park (28 from 25 deliveries), but the partnership was eventually broken by former Derbyshire man Ant Botha who had Park caught behind by keeper Tim Ambrose with the score on 85-4. Just 15 runs later Keith Barker induced Smith to edge behind and leave the Falcons struggling. However, some lusty hitting from John Sadler – who smashed an unbeaten 38 from 28 deliveries including two sixes and two fours – provided the visitors with some much-needed impetus, and although wickets fell steadily at the other end he and Steffan Jones (10) eventually pillaged 26 off the final two overs to boost the innings to a potentially challenging 148-7.

The Bears’ reply didn’t get off to the best of starts when Bosman ran out Carter (2) to leave the score on 13-1, and Ian Bell swiftly followed after he drove former Bear Tim Groenewald straight to Durston at cover. Bell’s dismissal brought Troughton to the crease and he immediately looked in good touch as he set about forging a 66-run partnership with Jonathan Trott (44).

Trott became Groenewald’s second victim with the score on 91, but Troughton continued to play his shots as he cruised to his half-century. He was eventually caught at deep long-off off the bowling of Charl Langeveldt for an excellent 41-ball 58, an innings that included four boundaries and two sixes.

Some tight bowling from Robin Peterson and Park followed and left Warwickshire needing 14 off the last over, to be delivered by Langeveldt, widely regarded as one of the best death bowlers in the world. It was a challenge that Darren Maddy (25 off 18 deliveries) proved equal to as he calmly accumulated runs off the first five deliveries before flicking the final ball of the match away into the leg-side for a boundary to take the Bears over the line.

Warwickshire Bears 152-4 (Troughton 58; Groenewald 2-21) BEAT Derbyshire Falcons 148-7 (Sadler 38*; Woakes 2-19) by six wickets.