Bears Blast Best: Northants Steelbacks

Bell "very excited" by BPL and PSL opportunities

There's been some fantastic clashes between the Bears and the Steelbacks over the years. Here's our best performances.

Best Innings 131

Ian Bell (Edgbaston 2018)

Chasing a hefty 231, the Bears were in trouble at 23 for two after 17 balls when skipper Ian Bell was joined at the crease by Adam Hose.

What followed, few of the big, boisterous Edgbaston crowd will forget in a hurry.

Bell and Hose put on a T20 world record third-wicket stand of 171 in 14.1 overs. It was a stunning display of power-hitting and strokeplay which showed that there is plenty of room for high class batsmanship in the format.

Hose fell for 64 (39 balls) but Bell advanced to a dazzling century, his first in T20. The Bears legend ended up with a brilliant 131 from 62 balls with 11 fours and seven sixes in a classic match which ended in a tie.

Best Bowling 1/8

Rikki Clarke (Edgbaston 2014)

On a humid June evening, Bears captain Varun Chopra won the toss and chose to field. As always, he threw the ball to Rikki Clarke to open the attack.

An hour later, the former England all-rounder had delivered his four overs for just eight runs, a stint which remains the most economical ever in the Blast for the Bears.

Bowling with customary back-of-a-length accuracy and discipline. Clarke also claimed the wicket of Richard Keogh, caught by Chopra. As Chris Wright took two wickets at the other end, the Steelbacks were in a straitjacket from the start.

From 18 for the three in the fifth over, they only partially recovered to 133 for seven and the Bears cruised to an eight-wicket victory with four overs to spare. Chopra struck an unbeaten 68, Will Porterfield 42 and Shoaib Malik an unbeaten 21 but it was Clarke's immaculate bowling that sowed the seeds of the victory.