Big crowd, blue skies and power hitting – Bears First Team Coach Mark Robinson believes all the ingredients are in place to make tomorrow’s Vitality Blast Off at Edgbaston a day to remember.
Robinson’s side have started the red ball campaign strongly with three wins from five putting them on the shoulders of early leaders Surrey in the County Championship Division One table.
They switched seamlessly to white ball action with T20 warm-up wins over Gloucestershire and two against Northamptonshire in Second XI games this week at Portland Road.
And though Robinson knows a sterner test lies in store when their Blast campaign launches against Yorkshire Vikings tomorrow (6.30pm start) he’s confident the Bears are well placed to make a strong start.
He said: “Those warm-up games gave everyone time out in the middle, it’s been good preparation and the players are getting used to playing at T20 tempo again.
“We’ll be hoping to build on the momentum from our red ball start which has been excellent.
“It’s a different squad but the confidence and belief remains. We’re second in the County Championship after some great performances, so there’s a real feel good factor and the whole place is buzzing for Blast to start.
“Blast Off is going to be special. A double-header, blue skies for the 13,000 or so fans in Edgbaston, it’s an exciting prospect. It’s why we play cricket, for big occasions like this, and it’s a chance for our players to flourish on the big stage. We can’t wait.”
The Bears have endured quarter final heartache in each of the last two Blast campaigns, losing to Kent in 2021 and Hampshire last year.
Both went on to win the competition and Robinson hopes his side can go one step better in 2023 and play in front of a fervent sell-out Finals Day.
He added: “We’ve not been far away in recent seasons but we want to keep improving every year. We’ve lost Adam Hose and Olly Stone but brought in Hassan Ali and Ed Barnard, plus we’ve got Moeen Ali and Glenn Maxwell to join up with the squad.
“They are both tearing up the IPL – some of Maxi’s shots have been outrageous – and Bears fans are in for some exciting cricket.
“But this is also a season for our younger players like Dan Mousley, Rob Yates and Jacob Bethell, to really seize their opportunity.
“I’ve got a good idea of our starting 11 but as we progress through the competition that will change if we pick up any knocks and with international call-ups.
“We’ve got Woaksey for the short term before he goes off with England but of course that then creates an opportunity for another player.”
Blast Off starts with Derbyshire Falcons vs Lancashire Lightning (2.30pm) before the Bears and Vikings lock horns from 6.30pm.
Fans can enjoy a full day of T20 entertainment, with live music, children’s entertainment and more throughout the day.
Squad
Alex Davies (c)Hassan AliEd BarnardChris BenjaminJacob BethellDanny BriggsHenry BrookesSam HainJake LintottCraig MilesDan MousleyPaul StirlingChris WoakesRob Yates
How to follow
Members and supporters can follow the match live in our Match Centre at edgbaston.com. Supporters can get involved by sending their match day comments and thoughts on Twitter via @WarwickshireCCC and we’ll publish the best ones on our live text commentary in the Match Centre. Supporters can also watch the Live Stream and get instant push notifications of all wickets, innings and match results via the Edgbaston app, which is free to download on iOS and Android. Match updates will also be available across the Club’s social media accounts, simply search for @WarwickshireCCC.
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