Match Details VS Surrey
Metro Bank One Day Cup: Worcestershire Rapids v Surrey
Venue: Visit Worcestershire New Road
Date: Tuesday 26th August
Scheduled start time: 11am
Tuesday sees the conclusion of the group stages of this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup, as Worcestershire Rapids host Surrey needing a win to keep alive their chances of securing a home semi-final.
With the day dedicated to the ‘Blue for Bakes’ initiative, the players, staff and supporters alike are invited and encouraged to wear blue and join in the day’s celebrations to help raise funds and awareness for the JB33 Foundation.
Last Time Out
A sublime second century of the campaign from Brett D’Oliveira anchored Worcestershire Rapids innings, as Worcestershire solidified their chances of a Metro Bank One Day Cup home semi-final with a hard-fought 16 run win over Leicestershire Foxes that went down to the final over of the match.
D’Oliveira finished on 107, after he and Dan Lategan had given the away side a 100 run head start in a fruitful opening partnership, before Rob Jones continued his fine recent form to score 60 and propel the visitors to an imposing total 0f 328 all-out.
Ben Gibbon and Ben Allison shone in the early exchanges to reduce the Foxes to 23-4, but a mammoth stand of 163 between Shan Masood and Ben Cox threatened to change the course of the game, before Ethan Brookes broke the stand at a crucial time for the visitors.
The bowlers chipped away at regular intervals and looked to have the game wrapped up, but Ben Mike’s fabulous late cameo of 72 not-out threatened to tear up the script, Ben Allison held on in the final over however and ensured the Rapids eventually secured victory.
Inside The Camp
Ahead of Tuesday’s crunch clash with Surrey, Brett D’Oliveira ensured his side will stay true to their own processes as the chase towards a home semi-final in the Metro Bank One Day Cup comes to a head in the final group game.
Sunday’s win over Leicestershire secured a quarter-final place for the Rapids, but the additional news that table toppers Gloucestershire had slipped up against Essex means that tomorrows fixture at Visit Worcestershire New Road now holds the possibility of leading to a home semi-final.
A Worcestershire win and a second successive loss for Gloucestershire is the required formula for the Rapids to bypass the quarter-final fixture, but D’Oliveira says his side are not looking past a Surrey side who have enjoyed a recent upturn in fortunes.
“Surrey had a bit of a bad start to the competition, but they’ve come back with a couple of wins recently haven’t they.
“Everyone knows what Surrey are like. You know, they’ve got hell of a depth in their group . They’ve got a great youth system, great Academy and you can see these young players that haven’t heard banded around too much, but they’re coming in and making their name known.
“So absolutely won’t be taking that for granted.”
It has been an enjoyable 50-over campaign for D’Oliveira to date, who has scored two centuries in the competition, with a game changing 138 against Derbyshire earlier in the group stage preceding his fluent 107 against the Foxes on Sunday.
Forming an exciting partnership with left-handed 19-year-old Dan Lategan across the last two matches, the club captain is averaging 51.14 in List A cricket this season, with no intentions of changing any good habits now that the campaign is reaching the business end of proceedings.
“I don’t like to look into things too much, at the moment I am enjoying just playing what is in front of me and trying to set the lads up with a bit of platform from the top.
“It is a really enjoyable format to play in and so far, minus that slip-up at home to Gloucestershire, we have found a really nice rhythm and things feel settled and balanced throughout the side.
“That is one of the key parts when you are playing as often as every couple of days, as we found out in the Blast earlier in the season, that if you don’t quite get off to that fast start, momentum is really hard to come by. This year we have found that however and are in a good position heading into tomorrow.
“There is a lot of work still to do and nobody is for one minute presuming it is job done by any stretch. We have the upmost respect for Surrey and what they bring, but it is down to us to make sure we do our thing and make Blue for Bakes an even more memorable day.”
The Opposition
Last result: Beat Notts Outlaws by 1o runs
Table position: 6th
One to watch: Cameron Steel
It has been a tough ask given the absence of 15 leading players at The Hundred, but as in previous seasons Surrey have approached the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a positive vision of the competition giving precious first-team experience to a raft of youngsters.
There is still a hard core of senior players, too – Ben Foakes, Rory Burns and Ryan Patel’s availability tells you all you need to know.
Cameron Steel has used this year’s competition as the perfect opportunity to showcase his proven all-round talents as a middle-order stroke-maker and leg-spinner with a knack of taking important wickets.
A comparative lack of game time in Surrey’s Rothesay County Championship side this summer has only added to that desire.
With no overseas player available, Surrey will be relying on the international experience of skipper Rory Burns, Dom Sibley, Ben Foakes and fast bowler Matt Fisher to try and steer a predominantly youthful line-up to a mid-table finish with qualification no longer a possibility.
Squad vs Surrey
