Paul Stirling joins Birmingham Bears for 2022 T20 Blast

The Ireland international has scored 2,608 runs at a strike rate of 149.02 in 104 T20 Blast appearances to date

Birmingham Bears have signed Paul Stirling for the 2022 T20 Blast.

The 31-year-old will be available for the club's first 12 group matches before joining up with the Ireland squad. Should the Bears reach Finals Day on July 16, Stirling may once again be available for selection.

The Ireland international is one of the most explosive openers on the white-ball circuit, scoring 6,952 runs at a strike rate of 141.58 across his T20 career.

In the T20 Blast, he has previously represented Northamptonshire and Middlesex, scoring 2,608 runs at a strike rate of 149.02 in 104 appearances.

Stirling is also a regular on the franchise circuit, enjoying stints in the PSL, Lanka Premier League and Bangladesh Premier League as well as lighting up the inaugural season of the Hundred. Representing Southern Brave, he scored 132 runs at a strike rate of 167.08 in six appearances, including a player of the match-winning 61 (36 balls) in the final against Birmingham Phoenix.

^{Paul Stirling batting for Middlesex in the 2019 T20 Blast [James Chance/Getty Images]}

Commenting on joining Birmingham Bears, Stirling said: "I'm incredibly excited to join up with the Bears for this year's Vitality Blast. They were the masters of the red-ball game last year but also have big ambitions in white-ball cricket and want to be playing at home on Finals Day.

"I'm also relishing making Edgbaston my home. It's one of the top grounds in the world with a fan base who are renowned for generating the best atmosphere in the game. It's going to be a special few weeks and I can't wait to get started."

Birmingham reached the quarter-finals of the Blast in 2021, losing to eventual champions, Kent Spitfires.
However, there was a real disparity in their results depending on whether they batted first or second.

Batting first, the Bears won five of their seven matches; chasing, they won just twice in seven attempts and were bowled out for 130 runs or fewer three times.

^{Stirling is expected to partner Alex Davies at the top of the order [Jan Kruger/Getty Images]}

Stirling's arrival should help to rectify this issue, thanks to both his vast experience and explosive capabilities.

His opening partnership with fellow new signing Alex Davies also adds enviable strength to a batting line-up which already included Sam Hain, Will Rhodes, Chris Benjamin and T20 skipper Carlos Brathwaite.

Davies, signed from Lancashire, has scored at least 250 runs in each of his past four T20 Blast seasons.

"Paul could be a transformational signing for us in this year's Blast," said director of cricket, Paul Farbrace. "He is one of the most powerful openers in the T20 game and has lots of experience on the biggest stage, having played in World Cups and global franchise tournaments.

"With a new look opening pair of Paul and Alex Davies in this year's Blast, it's an incredibly exciting line-up that Carlos Brathwaite is going to be captaining when we take to the field at Edgbaston for our opening game against the Steelbacks on May 26."

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