Barnard lifts buoyant Bears as Yorkshire fall short

Allrounder Ed Barnard hit an excellent middle-order 67 and then helped close things out with the ball as Birmingham Bears defended a 206-target to claim a crucial Vitality Blast win over Yorkshire at Headingley.

Barnard's 40-ball knock was the centrepiece of a 205 for 8 total which also included a telling late assault of 76 runs in the last five overs from the lower order.

Pakistan seamer Hasan Ali hit 22 not out off eight balls and later struck twice with the ball, sealing a third win in six in the North Group - this by 32 runs.

Yorkshire, for whom New Zealand quick Will O'Rourke struck three times with the ball, looked well placed to reel in the target thanks to opener and captain Dawid Malan's 65 off 34 balls. But his fourth successive fifty in this competition was not enough to prevent a fourth defeat in six, the hosts finishing on 173 for 5.

Alex Davies, who elected to bat, guided George Hill's seam to short third - 20 for 1 in the second over. Dom Bess, with his first ball, and O'Rourke then removed Dan Mousley bowled and Sam Hain caught at point as the Bears ended the powerplay at 51 for 3.

Tom Latham and Barnard steadied through accumulation to reach halfway with the score on 85. However, the former fell on 24 at the start of the 12th when he top-edged England Lion Hill to long-leg.

That was the first of three wickets in successive overs as the Bears slipped back into trouble at 123 for 6 in the 14th over. Moeen Ali was lbw to Jack White for 9 and Kai Smith caught behind off O'Rourke's pace. But their batters refused to die wondering on a belter of a batting pitch.

George Garton whacked two sixes over long-on as 21 came off Bess in the 16th before he skewed O'Rourke to deep cover in the 18th - 160 for 7. Sandwiched in between, Barnard reached a 32-ball fifty.

Barnard fell caught in the deep off Jack White in the penultimate, which ended with two Hasan sixes to help the Bears get above 200.

Will Luxton skewed Hassan's pace high to mid-off in the second over of a chase which advanced at pace. Malan hit two slog-swept sixes over midwicket off Danny Briggs' spin in the fifth over and the score reached 56 for 1 after six.

Garton dropped Malan at deep midwicket on 29 off Briggs in the seventh over, though there was success for the Bears when Moeen's second ball bowled Adam Lyth - 66 for 2 in the eighth.

Malan aside, Yorkshire's batting has been sketchy this campaign. So by now, it felt like Malan or bust for the hosts. By the time he reached his latest fifty, off 29 balls, the hosts were 100 for two early in the 12th over.

James Wharton provided impressive third-wicket support in sharing 55 with his skipper, though left-armer Briggs struck a key blow in the 13th when he had Malan caught at short fine-leg off a skied top-edged sweep - 121 for 3.

Yorkshire needed 65 off the last five overs before Mousley's offspin removed powerful Australian Will Sutherland, the target becoming a stiffer 47 off three overs at 159 for 4. Wharton fell for 37 in the penultimate over before Barnard's seam - nought for 18 from three overs - closed out the last, defending 39.