Hose, Benjamin fire Bears past Steelbacks

Adam Hose and Chris Benjamin smacked half-centuries as Birmingham Bears tightened up the top of the Vitality Blast North Group with victory in a high-scoring encounter against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

Chasing 212, Hose played the anchor role with 63 off 44 balls, while Benjamin was the finisher with an enthralling 58 from 31 deliveries, after Alex Davies had thrashed 42 from 18.

Earlier, Chris Lynn (59) continued his ridiculous form to return to the top of the Blast scoring charts, now with 443 runs, and Saif Zaib was outstanding in his 74 - but it proved short in the six-wicket defeat.

Northamptonshire missed the opportunity to move to the top of the group with the top four teams all now separated by a single point - with Derbyshire, the Steelbacks and the Bears on 14, one behind Lancashire.

The Steelbacks won the toss and without a second thought batted first on a belting quick pitch paired with a lightning outfield and bright sunshine - with 200 always a bare minimum.

Lynn took his run tally at Wantage Road to 361, with an average of 120, but he initially took his time to get going.

A swatted six over square, which never seemingly descended, got him going before a glorious on-drive was followed up by charging Carlos Brathwaite to clear the midwicket boundary.

Ben Curran had played a series of thumping straight shots before he played Brathwaite onto his stumps to end the 72-run opening stand.

That wicket somewhat slowed Lynn, but he brought up his fourth fifty in five innings on the ground in 37 deliveries.

The Australian was dropped on 52 and had added only a further seven runs before slicing to short third man.

Zaib simply continued where he had left off the previous evening, when he managed a career-best 92.

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