Paul Stirling hits the first century of Vitality Blast 2022

North Group

Birmingham Bears 207/3 beat Northamptonshire Steelbacks 81 by 125 runs (D/L Method)
Leicestershire Foxes 130 lost to Durham 184/8 by 54 runs

South Group

Middlesex 229/9 beat Gloucestershire 199/9 by 30 runs
Sussex Sharks 150/6 lost to Glamorgan 153/3 by seven wickets

NEW TEAM, SAME PAUL STIRLING

Is it any surprise that the first century of this year's competition was scored by Paul Stirling? His 119, on Birmingham Bears debut, is his second century in the Blast after his 109 for Middlesex at Surrey four years ago, and was just as electric viewing as ever. Hitting cleanly either side of a rain delay at Edgbaston, Stirling powered the Bears to a mammoth 207/3 in just 16 overs. The highlight of his knock? Taking 34 off a single James Sales over. Simply pulverising stuff.

ESKINAZI MASTERCLASS IN RADLETT ROUT

The 30-run margin makes it look far closer for Gloucestershire than it ever was, with a late flourish with the bat from Benny Howell helping his side recover from 114/6. That they were chasing a target of 230 was down to the enterprise of Stevie Eskinazi who, in his first outing as club captain in the Vitality Blast, smashed a phenomenal 87 from 37 balls. Only 12 teams in the history of the Blast have taken more from a Powerplay than Middlesex's 89 here as the hosts set the tone early. 

17 AND GETTING WICKETS

Rehan Ahmed shot to prominence with his 12 wickets in the ICC Under-19 World Cup earlier in the year, but now he's begun to make his mark on the Vitality Blast. He won't turn 18 until nearly a month after Finals Day this summer, but his performance in Leicestershire Foxes' opening fixture suggest he will be one of the stars of the summer. He made his T20 debut against Durham and couldn't have had a better start, taking a wicket with his very first ball. The leg-spinner finished with figures of 2/22 despite his team conceding 184, and even in a sizeable defeat the Foxes will take plenty of encouragement from Ahmed.

RIZWAN OUTSHONE BY LABUSCHAGNE

Two high-class overseas top-order batters were on display at The 1st Central County Ground. Mohammad Rizwan was in fine touch opening the batting for the Sussex Sharks, batting through the innings to get the Sharks to a defendable total. He hit 81 out of 150 with no other Sussex batter passing 13, and looked in typically sumptuous fashion. But it was Marnus Labuschagne and Glamorgan who came out on top, the Australian first taking a magnificent diving catch before putting on a partnership of 82 with Sam Northeast, scoring half of those himself.