Top-scorer Vasconcelos concedes basic mistakes cost Steelbacks in Bears loss

Ricardo Vasconcelos admitted the Steelbacks 'got outdone by the basics' as they slumped to a 21-run loss to Birmingham Bears in the Vitality Blast at the County Ground on Wednesday night.
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It was a third straight home loss for David Willey and his team, who were second best to the table-topping Bears in every department, and now have just two points to their name after four North Grup matches.

Opener Vasconcelos's elegant 65 from 39 balls, which included 13 fours, was the undoubted highlight of the night as far as the Steelbacks were concerned, but there was much to bemoan elsewhere, particularly in the field.

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Bears were allowed to amass 202 for six, with dropped catches, wayward bowling, missed run-outs and even missing the cut-off time to bowl their overs all contributing to a below-par effort.

Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a superb 65 for the Steelbacks in their defeat to the Bears (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a superb 65 for the Steelbacks in their defeat to the Bears (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Ricardo Vasconcelos scored a superb 65 for the Steelbacks in their defeat to the Bears (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)

The visitors’ top scorer, Rob Yates, was dropped in the powerplay when on just 22.

The fact the Steelbacks also had to have an extra fielder inside the ring for the final over after failing to start bowling the 20th in the allotted time summed up their night - with Sam Hain making the most of that situation to take 12 off the final three deliveries and push the Bears total beyond 200.

The defeat came off the back of a similar 15-run loss to Worcestershire Rapids in the opening game, and last Friday night's 10-wicket mauling at the hands of Durham.

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“It was better than we were the last home game," said Vasconcelos. "But I think there are still a few areas that we need to get a lot better at.

It was another tough night for Aussie pace bowler AJ Tye (PIcture: Peter Short)It was another tough night for Aussie pace bowler AJ Tye (PIcture: Peter Short)
It was another tough night for Aussie pace bowler AJ Tye (PIcture: Peter Short)

"We just got outdone by basics really. Timekeeping for one, dropped catches, missed run outs. That’s what it comes down to really.

"There's your extra 20, 25, 30 runs just in that, and then it’s a whole different chase chasing 180 rather than 200-plus.

“It's a high-scoring ground here, so the par is normally about 180, 185.

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"I just think 200-plus it's always going to be hard as a batting side chasing that.

David Willey in action for the Steelbacks against Bears (Picture: Peter Short)David Willey in action for the Steelbacks against Bears (Picture: Peter Short)
David Willey in action for the Steelbacks against Bears (Picture: Peter Short)

"You've always got to go continuously through the innings. You have two, three low-scoring overs, the rate jumps up to 12 to 12.5, so then it always makes it a bit hard.

"So, 180, 185, I think was where we were looking to restrict them to and obviously they got a few more than that."

Bears were allowed to score 39 from the final three overs of their innings, with two of them bowled by AJ Tye and the other by Willey, and that was a similar number to that conceded against the Rapids.

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If the Steelbacks had conceded half that amount in both games, then the results could have been very different.

Steelbacks celebrate claiming a Bears wicket (Picture: Peter Short)Steelbacks celebrate claiming a Bears wicket (Picture: Peter Short)
Steelbacks celebrate claiming a Bears wicket (Picture: Peter Short)

“It's something we have been frustrated by and if we make it hard for ourselves in the early stages, then you pay for it at the back end when you're missing all those chances," " said Vasconcelos.

"And in this game, when we had to bring an extra man into the ring for the final over, that just adds another dimension to it so it's a few basics that we need to improve on."

The Steelbacks are back in action on Friday, when they play their fourth home match in five, entertaining winless Leicestershire Foxes to Wantage Road.