Latham, Davies lay platform before Hasan six-for downs Derbyshire

Birmingham Bears completed back-to-back home wins with a 58-run victory over struggling Derbyshire Falcons at Edgbaston.

The Bears piled up 199 for 6 against the injury-hit Falcons. Opening pair Tom Latham (58 off 42 balls) and Alex Davies (49 off 29) provided a strong launchpad before the visitors reined the scoring in a little, Pat Brown taking 3 for 40.

It was more than enough though as the Falcons replied with 141 all out in 19.1 overs. There was no way back from the dire start of 29 for 4 and their fourth defeat in four duly followed. Ross Whiteley hit 50 off 37 and Wayne Madsen 46 off 32 but Hasan Ali added four late wickets, including a hat-trick, to his two early ones to finish with 6 for 23 while George Garton equalled the T20 world record of five catches by a non-wicketkeeper.

With Samit Patel failing a fitness test on a calf injury, Falcons' squad was at full stretch. Fynn Hudson-Prentice came into the side, signed on a four-game loan from Sussex, but Warwickshire made a flying start after they were put in.

Davies and Latham followed their opening stand of 103 against Yorkshire on Friday with 79 from 54 balls. Davies hit three sixes and five fours before departing clearly unhappy at being deemed to have gloved an attempted pull at Brown to wicketkeeper Aneurin Donald.

The Falcons fought back well as former Bears spinner Alex Thomson bowled Dan Mousley through a sweep. Latham was adroitly caught by David Lloyd on the long leg boundary, when the fielder threw the ball up to ensure he didn't carry it over the rope, then stepped forward to catch it again.

Sam Hain swung Hudson-Prentice into the Hollies Stand then tried to do so again but didn't clear the fielder. Brown cleaned up Ed Barnard and Kai Smith with successive deliveries before important late impetus came from Moeen Ali and Garton who took 12 from the three balls he faced.

Garton was then heavily involved as the Falcons plummeted to 28 for 4 after four overs. He took a return catch to remove Caleb Jewell with the fifth ball of the innings and took stinging catches at cover from Donald and Lloyd off Barnard and Hasan respectively. Martin Andersson became the third batter in 18 balls to pick out a fielder when he belted Hasan to point.

The top-order implosion left Madsen and Whiteley needing to retrench and, while they did, the required rate escalated as the Falcons entered the last ten overs needing 129. Madsen and Whiteley each hit three sixes but perished in pursuit of a fourth, caught in the deep. The latter perished at the start of Hasan's hat-trick - Whiteley caught at long-off, Thomson at mid-on and Ben Aitchson, bowled middle stump.

Warwickshire, with successive wins, are on a bit of a roll. Derbyshire's campaign could not have started worse.