Vitality Blast 2024 – Live Cricket Streaming, Live Scores, Match Reports and Reactions – All Matches – July 11th

Here are all the Vitality Blast 2024 – Live Cricket Streaming, Live Scores, Match Reports and Reactions for every match on July 11th 2024.

Gloucestershire vs Middlesex, South Group, Vitality Blast

Jack Davies and Martin Andersson staged a gutsy alliance of 101 as Middlesex recovered from adversity to forge a 29-run Vitality Blast victory over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.

Reduced to 32-4 in the powerplay, the Londoners were indebted to their fifth wicket pair, Davies raising 53 in 35 balls and Andersson 52 from 39 deliveries to stage a recovery that saw Middlesex eventually post a competitive total of 181-8.

It proved too big an ask for Gloucestershire, whose chase was undermined by Luke Hollman, the leg spinner claiming 3-37 from four overs. Jack Taylor and Beau Webster scored 45 and 31 respectively and staged a stand of 68 for the fourth wicket to keep the chase alive, but Middlesex seamers Blake Cullen, Noah Cornwell, Tom Helm and Ryan Higgins bowled a disciplined line to dismiss the home side for 152 in 19.5 overs.

Gloucestershire's fifth defeat in 11 outings in the South Group denied them an opportunity to climb into the top four for the first time and are now under pressure to win against Hampshire in Southampton on Friday if they are to keep alive their hopes of claiming a place in the quarter-finals. As for bottom-of-the-table Middlesex, this was their first win since early June and only their second in 11 matches this season.

Middlesex lost the toss and suffered a series of early blows, openers Leus du Plooy and Mark Stoneman departing cheaply as David Payne and Matt Taylor made early in-roads. Former Gloucestershire man Higgins endured a Festival return to forget, pulling a length ball from Josh Shaw and falling to a brilliant one-handed catch by Miles Hammond at mid-on, while Joe Cracknell skied Payne to deep mid-wicket as the visitors subsided to 32-4 inside five overs.

In no position to take undue risks, Davies and Andersson sought recourse in sensible cricket for a while as they attempted to rebuild. Lured into chancing his arm by the College Ground's short boundaries, Davies crashed Marchant de Lange for two successive sixes over mid-wicket as Middlesex counter-punched, the fifth wicket partnership realising 50 from 34 balls as the score progressed to 81-4 at halfway.

Jack Taylor permitted Davies a life on 37, fumbling a presentable chance at mid-on off the bowling of de Lange and the Middlesex man made the hosts pay, going to 50 via 32 balls. Growing in stature as he found the boundary with increasing regularity, Andersson faced just three deliveries more in attaining the same landmark and the partnership entered three figures in the 16th over.

Having accrued 5 fours and 2 sixes, Davies hoisted de Lange to deep backward square to afford Gloucestershire relief, Anderson hit Matt Taylor to backward point and Luke Hollman was brilliantly run out by Jack Taylor as the visitors slipped from 133-4 to 138-7 in the space of nine balls. Payne returned to remove big-hitting Tom Helm, after which Josh De Caires smashed 31 not out off 16 balls, with 3 fours and a six, to haul his side to a challenging total.

Sensing an opportunity to forge a rare victory, Middlesex exerted early pressure with the new ball, Noel Cornwell bowling Hammond for a nine-ball duck and then inducing James Bracey to miss-cue to mid-on as the hosts battled their way to 34-2 at the end of the powerplay.

Cameron Bancroft never appeared comfortable and had scratched just 10 off 18 balls when he was pinned lbw by Hollman's first ball with the score on 40 in the eighth. Webster and Jack Taylor did their utmost to breathe new life into the chase, but the required rate was up to 11.2 an over by the time Gloucestershire reached halfway on 70-3.

Taylor demonstrated aggressive intent when pulling Higgins high over the mid-wicket boundary, while Webster twice drove the same bowler for four through the cover region as the fourth wicket pair built momentum. Taylor hit Hollman for a straight six to raise the 50 partnership in 31 balls and then repeated the feat next delivery to bring up three figures and rouse a substantial Festival audience. 

But scoreboard pressure forced a mistake and Taylor, having made 45 from 24 balls in a stand of 68, hoisted Blake Cullen high to mid-wicket. Higgins then clean bowled Webster for a 26-ball 31, at which point Gloucestershire required a further 70 runs from five overs with two new batsmen in the middle.

Hollman removed Ben Charlesworth and Ollie Price in the sixteenth over to reduce the home side to 115-7, while Tom Helm and Higgins accounted for Josh Shaw and Matt Taylor respectively to put the outcome beyond doubt.

Gloucestershire captain Jack Taylor said: "We didn't quite get it right in the field and that was disappointing. We had a great start in the powerplay, but then got a bit sloppy, dropping a couple of catches and diving over a few in the field. Had we taken another wicket early on and had them at 50-5, it would have been a different game. But we didn't do that and you have to give them credit. I thought Middlesex played well and then we just couldn't get going with the bat. We know 180 is very chaseable here, but we made a poor start. Even with 70 needed off six, we felt we were in with a chance, but we lost too many wickets. I hit one up in the air and that was disappointing. They hit a good length, attacked the stumps and made it difficult for us. It's still firmly in our hands and we have three games left, starting with Hampshire tomorrow."

Middlesex wicketkeeper-batsman Jack Davies said: "It was nice to get my highest score in T20 cricket after such a poor start. Myself and Martin (Andersson) just had to focus on  building a partnership after those four wickets went down early. Fortunately for us, you get good value for your shots on this ground and we were able to accelerate at the right time. We bat a lot together and I thought we complemented one another quite well. We don't have a great record against Gloucestershire and have not had the best of times in this competition, so winning here was a good effort. Our bowlers were excellent and ut the ball in the right place more often than not. Gloucestershire have some really good players and we're delighted to have got them out for 152."

Worcestershire Rapids vs Leicestershire Foxes, North Group, Vitality Blast

Worcestershire Rapids ended a run of seven successive defeats in the Vitality Blast and dealt a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages with a 16 run victory at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

Worcestershire achieved their highest score of the season thanks chiefly to Adam Hose’s 63 off just 39 balls, beating last weekend’s previous best of 181for four versus Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.

The Leicestershire spinners, Lewis Goldworthy and Rehan Ahmed, both bowled excellent spells in mid innings which gave them combined figures of 8-0-45-3 before Hose’s late onslaught.

But their powerful batting top order line-up was blown away by Tom Taylor and youngster Harry Darley as they were reduced to 28-5.

Louis Kimber revived Leicestershire’s hopes with their fastest ever T20 fifty off 21 balls including five sixes in a two over spell and he and Ben Cox added 85 in eight overs.

But his dismissal for 53 ended their hopes of a remarkable win against the odds despite Ben Cox going onto complete a fine 50 off 35 balls.

Matthew Waite cleaned up the innings with a stream of late wickets including Cox in the final over for 55 to give him a career best Blast return of 5-21.

The injury-hit Rapids have lost several games by tight margins but this was a convincing performance whereas Leicestershire have now gone four games without a win courtesy of two defeats, a tie and a wash-out.

Leicestershire received a treble boost with captain Peter Handscomb (shoulder), Rehan Ahmed (concussion) and leading wicket-taker Scott Currie (Injury niggle) all returning to the side.

Hanscomb won the toss and put the Rapids into bat and Jimmy Neesham made the first breakthrough when Brett D’Oliveira sliced his shot into the hands of third man.

Kashif Ali got into his stride with four and a massive six over backward square leg off successive balls from Josh Hull.

Josh Cobb inside edged Mike for four but was then caught down the leg side by former Worcestershire keeper Ben Cox off the same bowler.

The Rapids reached 61-2 in the powerplay but then Gareth Roderick made room to hit Rehan Ahmed through the off side and was bowled.

Kashif, having hit Lewis Goldsworthy for a straight six, was given out lbw next ball aiming a blow to the legside.  His 41 came off 25 balls with two sixes and three fours.

Ethan Brookes also perished aiming to hit Goldsworthy to leg and was bowled but Adam Hose looked in good form and kept the scoreboard moving at a decent rate for the Rapids.

Ed Pollock fell to a good catch over his shoulder at long off by Louis Kimber off Currie who next ball trapped Matthew Waite lbw as Worcestershire lost momentum.

But Hose ensured a sizeable total with a series of big hits as he completed a 33 ball half century before on 63 he was caught by Cox attempting to scoop shot Neesham.

When Leicestershire replied Rishi Patel, the competition’s leading scorer with 400 runs, was bowled for a duck driving at Tom Taylor.

There was joy then for Harry Darley with his first Blast wicket as Ahmed sliced the ball to Brookes at wide third man.

Darley then bowled a wide but his second legitimate ball accounted for Handscomb who clipped straight to Pollock at mid wicket to leave the Foxes on 9-3.

There was no let-up for the visitors and Taylor struck again as Sol Budinger went for a big hit and was caught behind and Waite then disposed of Neesham in the same manner.

Then came the remarkable hitting from Kimber to revive the Foxes chances before he holed out to Josh Cobb in the covers off Brookes.

Two wickets in two balls from Waite ensured there would be no late heroics from Leicestershire as he got rid of Mike and Goldsworthy.

He struck twice more in the final over in sending back Cox and Currie to complete his five-for. 

Worcestershire batter, Adam Hose, said: “It’s been a really tough couple of weeks. We had a really good win at Durham in the four-day stuff but other than that it’s been a tough time for everyone in and around the squad.

“To show the courage and bravery we did tonight and put on a good show was excellent. I know it got a bit tight there but everyone should take a lot of confidence from that win.

“It should mean a lot. We know we haven’t performed to the best of our abilities and we lacked confidence at times and last year when we were playing well we got over the line in games that we haven’t necessarily done this year.

“We haven’t played any bad cricket, apart from maybe the first game against Yorkshire, overall we’ve been there and thereabouts, and just lost clinical moments in games.

“Today we were a little bit sharper and I think that has got us over the line today.

“It’s hard to pinpoint what has been the reasons for things.When things aren’t quite going your way, you maybe start searching for things and we know T20 cricket is very volatile as a format and it almost elevates that feeling and makes it 10 times worse than it actually is.

“Realistically you are never too far away from getting things right.”

Leicestershire Head Coach, Alfonso Thomas, said: “My assessment? It was a strange game really. We’ve not bowled well in the first powerplay and they got 61-2.

“To have them 139-7, with three overs to go, and for them to get 184, I thought we were always playing catch-up.

“They came out, put us on the back foot and 29-5 after six overs with only two boundaries. They must have bowled on a different pitch!

“Louis Kimber came in and gave us a sniff but we couldn’t get over the line.

“I just think our top batters didn’t adapt. It was a classic case of trying to assess the wicket and I don’t think we did that first up.

“I thought we did well to get ourselves back in it and just couldn’t get ourselves over the line and that sums up this team at the moment in we are not winning those key moments.

“But that will come, that will come for sure.”

Yorkshire Vikings v Durham, North Group, Vitality Blast

Leg-spinner Jafer Chohan claimed a maiden five-wicket haul to help set Yorkshire up for a crucial win by seven wickets over fellow contenders Durham at Headingley, chasing only 108 to boost their Vitality Blast quarter-final hopes.

Chohan, who turned 22 today, finished with a superb five for 14 from 3.4 overs as Durham were bowled out for 107 inside 17. 

He struck three times in the 15th over as Durham crumbled from 96 for five to 97 for nine on a used pitch having elected to bat. They crept to three figures, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a fifth defeat in 11 - this one coming with 3.2 overs remaining as Adam Lyth top-scored with two sixes in 30.

Durham, from whom Ben Raine top-scored with 33, started an overcast night fourth in the North Group but slipped out of quarter-final places as the Vikings chased with comfort to end a run of three straight losses and win for the fifth time in 11. 

A win at Lancashire tomorrow could put them in the top four qualification places.

Chohan, a product of the South Asian Cricket Academy, had missed the last two matches with a broken right thumb.  

Yorkshire struck three times in the six-over powerplay, beginning a game they couldn’t afford to lose in ideal fashion.

Off-spinner Dom Bess had Durham captain Alex Lees stumped for two in the second over before helping fellow spinner Dan Moriarty oust Ollie Robinson with a catch at mid-on.

Seamer Ben Cliff removed opener Graham Clark - 28 for three in the fifth - before Jordan Thompson and Chohan ensured further success.

If Dutch duo Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann were still smarting from the Euro 2024 football result from 24 hours earlier, life didn’t get any easier as both were bowled, leaving Durham in disarray at 40 for five in the eighth.

Their cause was helped by a steadying 56-run stand for the seventh wicket between experienced heads Raine and Australian Ashton Turner.

But things weren’t steady for long. 

Durham lost their sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth wickets for the addition of one run in the space of five balls in the 14th and 15th overs, falling to 97 for nine.

Turner was caught and bowled by Bess, who finished with two for 26, before Chohan trapped Raine lbw next ball and then had Ben Dwarshuis caught behind to mark a team hat-trick.

Later in the 15th, Michael Jones was bowled before Chohan struck again in his next to wrap up the innings as Nathan Sowter handed Donovan Ferreira a second stumping. 

In his 21st career appearance, Chohan also recorded Yorkshire’s third best figures in their Blast history. 

Durham started this competition by being bowled out for 75 and 101 in their opening two games before recovering to climb into quarter-final contention. However, they were bowled out for 140 in defeat at Northampton on Sunday before more issues here. 

With only three games remaining, any more batting issues could be disastrous in terms of their quarter-finals bid.

Yorkshire’s task of chasing was a straightforwards one, and it was an added bonus that they were able to significantly improve their net run-rate. 

Openers Lyth and Dawid Malan cruised to a 64 stand in nine overs before falling. 

Lyth was caught and bowled by Sowter’s leg-spin and Malan, for 29, caught at midwicket off de Leede’s seam. Dwarshuis later had James Wharton caught in the deep, but they were nothing more than consolatory strikes.

Yorkshire’s leg-spinner Jafer Chohan said

 

“Over the last two years, it’s one thing that’s been on my mind a bit - that I feel I’ve bowled nicely but have not had that one game where I’ve taken three or four wickets. I’ve not had more than two wickets.

“For me, that was quite a big stepping stone - to take the role as a wicket-taker.

“I look up to Adil Rashid a lot and chat to him. His message to me is to look to take wickets and be positive. 

“It’s very easy to be scared in T20 cricket of getting hit. Now, I feel a lot more comfortable and just enjoy it. If I’m looking to take wickets, I bowl so much better.

“That’s the whole fun of bowling leg-spin - trying to take wickets.

“We had a couple of games, narrow ones where we felt we should have won. There was a little bit of pressure there. We’re playing good cricket, now it’s about getting over the line. 

“I did wake up this morning and think, ‘Peter Siddle got a hat-trick on his birthday’. I wasn’t that far off. I was very happy with that.”

 

Durham coach Ryan Campbell said

 

“That wasn't good enough. We felt it was going to be a wicket with lots of runs. The last time they played on it, there was 200 each way. It’s probably been under the covers a fair while, and we got caught out. 

“Unfortunately, a couple of times this year when we haven’t played on great wickets, we haven’t adapted quickly enough and problem-solved quickly enough. Hence we get ourselves in trouble. 

“We fought our way back at 96-5 with five overs to go. You think, ‘We could post something which we back ourselves to defend’. But their young leg-spinner came on and was absolutely brilliant. The rest was history.

“We have to control our own destiny in this competition. We have to win our last three games. It’s as simple as that. If we do that, we’ll deserve to be in that top four.”

Derbyshire Falcons vs Lancashire Lightning, North Group, Vitality Blast

Rain washed out the Vitality Blast T20 North Group match between Derbyshire Falcons and Lancashire Lightning at Derby.

The weather set in hours before the scheduled 7pm start and the rain got heavier as the evening progressed leaving the umpires with no alternative but to call the game off at 8.30pm.

Both teams take a point from the abandonment which leaves Lightning still in second place while Falcons move above Durham to fourth.

Essex Eagles vs Kent Spitfires, South Group, Vitality Blast

Essex 187/3 beat Kent Spitfires 165/5 by 22 runs

Sam Cook returned from injury to linchpin Essex’s 22-run victory over ‘Battle of the Bridge’ rivals Kent Spitfires and put the Eagles in pole position for a Vitality Blast quarter-final place.

Fast bowler Cook ended a 49-day hamstring injury lay-off to take one for 21 as Essex defended 187 despite Tawanda Muyeye’s T20 best of 73.

Adam Rossington, Dean Elgar, Michael Pepper and Matt Critchley all passed 30 as the Eagles set an imposing total – with Paul Walter the stand-out with an unbeaten 46.

The victory bucked the trend at the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, which had seen the side batting first win just one of the previous 11 matches, and kept Essex in the top four, while Kent remain bottom.

The Essex batting innings went through three fluctuation stages, having been stuck in.

The powerplay belonged to them as Adam Rossington biffed 36, while Elgar ticked along unspectacularly – with 50 brought up in the opening six overs.

Rossington plinked the last ball of the powerplay to mid-on, but Pepper took over the aggressive nature – with three successive fours off Joey Evison, ahead of a four-six combo to take down Matt Parkinson.

But Elgar holing out to long on in the 12th over saw Kent pull things back. It came five deliveries into a 31-ball spell without a boundary, which also saw Pepper caught at deep midwicket for a 20-ball 34.

Parkinson took both those wickets as he found a little grip to cause issues with seamers backing him up from the other end.

But his four overs two for 29 were followed by the Eagles souring to a decent target – with Walter and Critchley taking 67 from the final five overs. All included a six, but also plenty of clever field manipulation.

 Cook’s return from a hamstring injury suffered in the Vitality County Championship fixture with Kent in May for his first Blast appearance of the year and started with just a single off his opening over.

Eathan Bosch, on T20 debut for Essex, began equally strongly with just a wide and the scalp of Daniel Bell-Drummond in his first but his second, which went for 24, put the Spitfires in control.

It was the centrepiece of Muyeye and Marcus O’Riordan’s 85-run stand, one which stayed closely with the required rate.

Zimbabwean-born Muyeye moved to an effortless fourth T20 fifty in 34 balls.

But Essex opened the door back up with O’Riordan sharply caught and bowled by Snater, Sam Billings slicing Simon Harmer to cover and Muyeye also returned to Snater – who had clearly put the Dutch’s misery behind them.

The visitors then completely lost their way with Jack Leaning carving to extra cover as only 53 runs were scored in the last eight overs.

Walter and Cook easily saw out the 36 required from the last two overs to win.

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