Pavely shows maturity and strength to take Bears to victory

Birmingham Bears (154/8) defeated Essex (150/3) by 2 wickets with one ball to spare.

Charis Pavely was named POTM. Photo Credit: Warwickshire

Birmingham Bears recorded their fifth win out of eight games in the Vitality T20 Blast to move up to second in the table. What should have been a regulation run chase became a nervy final over scramble after Birmingham lost regular wickets throughout their innings to keep the final outcome in doubt to the very end. It was Charis Pavely’s 68 not out from just 40 balls which finally saw them home.

Essex had posted a total that looked no better than par on a sun-drenched morning at Edgbaston in front of hundreds of local school children in the Hollies Stand. Scrivens seemed oddly tentative and insecure at the wicket as she scratched around for 15 from 17 balls before launching the ball quite high and not very far to be caught by Laura Harris at mid-on from the bowling of Phoebe Graham. Graham, on loan from Lancashire, where she can’t get a game, was doing a fine job filling in for the Bears, who were missing Katie George, Em Arlott and Bethan Ellis, so were clearly in need of a fast-bowling option to go alongside Issy Wong.

Lauren Winfield-Hill brings some much-needed experience and nous to this Essex side and while she was at the crease, a good total looked a distinct possibility. However, having scored an impressive 30 from 23 balls, Cordelia Griffith called her through for a single that was clearly just not there. Griffith’s lack of eye contact with her batting partner as she walked disconsolate back to the dug out was all we needed to know about who was at fault.

Griffith, spurred on by the guilt or embarrassment of the run out, proceeded to replicate Winfield-Hill’s innings. Joined by South Australian Maddie Penna, the two of them added 94 form the final 12 and a half overs to get Essex to 150 at the close of innings. 150/3 seems an odd total to get – it feels that if you only lost 3 wickets you should have taken a few more risks to get the total higher and it did feel light by about 10 runs.

The Bears’ batting was exactly as it has been for most of the season – fragile but deep. Perrin and Austin, both of whom are having a fine season in the Blast, both failed on this occasion thanks to some highly accurate and skilful bowling by Esmae MacGregor, who added to her very impressive record in this season’s competition with two more top order scalps. Her yorkers and slower balls building pressure and deceiving both of them. It was Issy Wong, promoted up the order when Perrin was dismissed in the power play, who provided the initial impetus for the Bears. Briefly joined by Wraith and Kalis before both were dismissed cheaply, it was her partnership with Charis Pavely which swung the match back in the Bears’ favour. Pavely, all fidgety energy at the crease and lightning fast between the wickets, is having a great season with the bat and together these two added 43 in just 27 balls, doubling the Bears’ score and taking them well ahead of the run rate.

If chasing the runs was looking more likely for the Bears, their profligacy with their wickets was causing many to be concerned that they may run out of batters. Nobody except Pavely was able to stay in for more than two or three overs, so Pavely took matters into her own hands, hitting two fours and a six, thus helping the Bears take 12 from Sophia Smale’s 17th over and then another 10 from Jodie Grewcock’s 18th over. With only six needed from the final two overs, the game was almost up for Essex, who worked brilliantly to take the match to the penultimate ball, but it was Hannah Baker, who for the third time this season, hit the final ball of the match for a boundary and won the game for the Bears.

For Essex, MacGregor had a great spell and did not concede more than a single from any delivery until her final 3 balls. It was less of a good game for Smale, who seemed very frustrated by a shot from Pavely being dropped over the boundary for six in her first over and struggled to regain her composure after that. Interestingly it was her Oval Invincibles captain, Winfield-Hill, who tried to re-focus her at this point. To be fair on Smale, that moment was the defining moment of the game.

For the Bears, Pavely was undoubtedly the star. Her batting has gone up a level this season and her bowling has always been good. Already capped by England, she is certainly someone who can have ambitions for an England A call up in the very near future and would be a very good option for the T20 World Cup this time next year.