Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast, form, prediction and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the Vitality Blast...
Fixture: Leicestershire Foxes v Birmingham Bears
Venue: Uptonsteel County Ground, Leicester
Date: Wednesday, June 16, 2021
Start time: 6.30pm
What’s the lowdown?
Birmingham Bears are soaring at the moment. They top the North Group and have been impeccable since their Thursday night defeat to Yorkshire. First, they posted a daunting 229 against Notts. Then they chased down 161 against Derbyshire, and last night they smacked the Steelbacks for 170, before running through them and bowling them out for 115. It was a complete performance from their side with two players posting half centuries, and all bowlers contributing with the ball.
Leicestershire Foxes have started less well: they are winless from four and last night were taken for 240 by Yorkshire Vikings. However, they did not go down quietly, falling just 18 runs short in the chase. A valiant effort to say the least.
It seems that their bowling is letting them down. They have been unable to defend reasonable totals and have let other sides accumulate far too many runs when batting second. They are second bottom on run rate and need something to change quickly to keep themselves in Vitality Blast contention, with a five-point gap between them and the knockouts, already opened up.
Who’s in form?
Sam Hain has become as consistent a performer as any. He is arguably the most prolific run scorer in domestic white-ball cricket and has continued that this season. In four games he has three half centuries, and averages 103 for his 206 runs.
He started the tournament 209 runs behind Ian Bell’s record as the club's leading T20 run-scorer. It will take a spectacular fall from here for him to not surpass that and take his career to new heights. With the T20 World Cup round the corner, could he be throwing his name in the hat?
Jake Lintott and Carlos Brathwaite have been leading the way with the ball claiming eight wickets and seven wickets respectively.
Australian wicketkeeper Josh Inglis has been the main man since arriving at Leicestershire. A number of people around the Australian set up have tipped him as a future international and he is showing his credentials in the English domestic league, scoring 147 runs in his first four games.
Last night he struck 82 off 37 balls to put Leicestershire in a position to potentially win the game. As it was, he fell in the 12th over and with him, their hopes faded. Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq has been the pick of the bowlers, taking seven wickets.
What’s the team news?
The high-flying Bears have named the same squad for their visit to Leicestershire this evening. With three wins in three games there is no need for them to make any changes heading into this fixture.
Birmingham Bears squad: Will Rhodes (c), Carlos Brathwaite, Tim Bresnan, Danny Briggs, Ethan Brookes, Michael Burgess, Sam Hain, Olly Hannon-Dalby, Jake Lintott, Pieter Malan, Craig Miles, Dan Mousley, Ed Pollock
Despite losing all four of their fixtures, Paul Nixon has stuck with the same 14 players that he's selected all season.
Leicestershire Foxes squad: Colin Ackermann (c), Ed Barnes, Will Davis, Gavin Griffiths, Lewis Hill, Josh Inglis (wk), Louis Kimber, Arron Lilley, Ben Mike, Naveen, Rishi Patel, Callum Parkinson, Scott Steel, Harry Swindells
Head-to-head T20 record
Total matches: 16
Leicestershire Foxes wins: 6
Birmingham Bears wins: 10
Tied: 0
Abandoned: 0
No result: 2
Latest Leicestershire Foxes news
What’s the weather forecast?
It is going to be extremely hot in the East Midlands with temperatures peaking at 26 degrees Celsius.
Keep up to date with the MetOffice’s rolling forecast for Leicester: Click here
Going to the game?
Tickets
This match is sold out.
Travel
By car: The Uptonsteel County Ground is approximately three miles from the M69/M1 Junction 21.
For satnavs, the postcode LE2 8EB will send you to the main entrance on Curzon Road.
Parking: Check with the club before travelling as normal operations may be affected by Covid-19 restrictions.
By bus: To explore the local bus options and plan your journey, click here.
By train: The Uptonsteel County Ground is approximately two miles from Leicester Station.
Regular services run to Leicester from London St Pancras, the East Midlands and Yorkshire, serving Market Harborough, Leicester and Loughborough. They are operated by East Midlands Railway.
Cross Country Trains run services between Birmingham New Street and Leicester, via Hinckley, Narborough and South Wigston, and between Birmingham New Street and Stansted Airport, via Leicester and Melton Mowbray.
How do I follow the match?
Leicestershire will offer live coverage of the match via their website: Click here
All T20 Blast matches are also available via the ECB's central hub: Click here
The matches can also be viewed on mobile via the ECB app.
Radio: All Vitality Blast fixtures will be available on BBC Local Radio stations with extensive coverage also on 5 Live Sports Extra.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry live scorecards and updates from every Vitality Blast match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Prediction?
There can be only one winner in this battle of top vs bottom. If the Bears continue to perform the way that they have been, Leicestershire will do well to stop them.
OTHER T20 BLAST FIXTURES: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16
North Group
Worcestershire Rapids v Yorkshire Vikings
South Group
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