Vitality t20 Blast 2019 – Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears taking place? Friday 19th July, 17:15 (UK)
Where is Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears taking place? Blackfinch New Road, Worcester
What is the expected weather for Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears? 19c with dark cloud and consistent rain expected throughout the day
What television channel is Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears on? Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears will not be televised live in the UK
Where can I stream Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears? Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears will not be streamed live in the UK
Where can I get tickets for Worcestershire Rapids vs Birmingham Bears? Check https://www.ecb.co.uk/T20-Blast for updates about tickets
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD BETWEEN WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS AND BIRMINGHAM BEARS
All-time meetings: Worcestershire Rapids W13, Birmingham Bears W15, No result 2
Last meeting: Worcestershire Rapids beat Birmingham Bears by 15 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS
Coach: Alex Gidman
Captain: Moeen Ali
- The Rapids kicked off their 2019 campaign with a 28-run victory against a strong Notts Outlaws team on Thursday evening and despite their being plenty of room for improvement, the Rapids will be delighted with various parts of their performance.
- Skipper Moeen Ali was in impressive form as he hit 32 runs with the bat and then took 4/18 from his four overs with the ball to inspire his team but it was Ed Barnard’s superb knock of 42 from 19 balls as part of a seventh wicket partnership of 59 that was key in the Rapids’ posting a competitive score.
- The likelihood is that they will name an unchanged team for this crunch match against rivals Bears but they will want to raise their game for what is a sell out at the Blackfinch New Road.
BIRMINGHAM BEARS
Coach: Jim Troughton
Captain: Jeetan Patel
- The Birmingham Bears continued their inconsistency in the Vitality Blast in 2018 by failing to qualify from the Southern Group, one year after making it all the way to the grand final back in 2017 so they will look to bounce back this season.
- Long-serving New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel once again captains the Bears and provides a wealth of experience and variations that make him so difficult for the opposition to face and he is joined by Australian all-rounder Ashton Agar will join the West Midlands side as an overseas player this year, giving them another top class spin option to work in tandem with Patel.
- They will not be able to count on England’s World Cup star all-rounder Chris Woakes who is rested for this game but they will hope to be able to count on Olly Stone despite his call-up to the England squad for the Test match against Ireland next week.
THE PREDICTION
This match is a sell out as the Rapids welcome the Bears to Blackfinch New Road and the hosts will be confident after their opening win on Thursday. Moeen Ali’s men were in good form in the win over Notts Outlaws but somewhat ominously, they still have plenty of room for improvement with the bat especially. The Bears are missing Chris Woakes and are seemingly short on star power. Man for man they just lack the quality compared to this impressive Rapids team who should make it two wins from two matches.
