Final Preview: History beckons as Rapids gear up for 50-over final

Metro Bank One Day Cup Final: Hampshire v Worcestershire 

Venue: Trent Bridge

Date: Saturday 20th September

Scheduled start time: 11am

All eyes are on Trent Bridge this Saturday, as Worcestershire Rapids face Hampshire, looking to round off a superb campaign in the club’s hunt for a first piece of silverware since 2018.

Arguably the form side in the competition throughout the group stages, a semi-final win over Somerset provided the squad with the chance to write themselves into the history books at a first List A final in over two-decades.

Ben Allison’s career best figures of 6-35 helped Worcestershire secure a comfortable five-wicket win over Hampshire in Group A of the Metro Bank One Day Cup.

Allison bowled with pace and control from the outset, as regular wickets stunted Hampshire’s progress, with Nick Gubbins’ half-century the highlight in Hampshire’s total of 196 all-out.

In reply, a composed 52 from Brett D’Oliveira and thirties from Kashif Ali and Jake Libby put the hosts in control of their chase as Hampshire’s bowlers struggled.

A quick fire cameo from Ethan Brookes saw the hosts ease their way to a convincing five-wicket win and continue their unbeaten start to the Group stage.

Worcestershire Batter Rob Jones is itching to take the opportunity to help bring home a trophy for his side after a whirlwind summer in Rapids colours.

Injuring himself in the first game away at Nottinghamshire, Jones returned to the side with a bang as he made a sumptuous unbeaten hundred to guide his team home against Glamorgan midway through the group stage.

Back in the side as a main stay in the middle order and enjoying a prolonged run throughout this year’s competition, Jones, is chomping at the bit to bring back some white ball silverware to New Road after a wait of seven long years.

“I love it. It’s a great comp, I have played quite a bit of it now in my career and it’s a great competition.

“You play against good teams and some good players as well. Of course, it was a bit frustrating getting injured at that in the first game, but I think just having a few games out makes you want to come back even more, even stronger and even harder.

“So, I was desperate to get back in the team and took my opportunity and hopefully I can do the same thing tomorrow.

“It’ll be great day, hopefully they weather holds out, we have just had a good net session as well, so I am ready to go!”

Reaching a first List A final in 21 years, the Rapids have enjoyed a near perfect run to the final, losing just once in the nine games the side have played so far in the competition, a string of results that saw the Rapids beat tomorrow’s opponents by five wickets during the group stage.

A blip against Gloucestershire followed during a six-wicket defeat, before another four-game unbeaten run followed as the Rapids gathered momentum and flew towards the top of the group table.

Despite rotating bowlers in the early stages of the competition, Head Coach Alan Richardson has found his winning formula and settled on a form eleven who have delivered across all facets in style.

Jones, is keen for his side to take advantage of the exciting cricket the team have played, with a positive mindset and calm nature at the forefront of their good form.

“Anytime you’re in a final, anytime you have an opportunity to win trophies for Worcestershire or for the club, hopefully it’s going to be a great day. 21 years has been a long time, so to get to a List A final is massive.

“We’ve played some amazing cricket this comp and just keeping that intent that we’ve had in the field, with bat and ball, I know it’s cliches and stuff like that, but it’s always about taking a positive option when we can, and if we do that, we give ourselves the best chance going into this game by having the right mindset.

“I think in honesty, in finals and stuff like that, it can get a bit frantic at times.

“So by staying calm and being present and showing that intensity that we’ve played with is ultimately, hopefully is going to give us the best chance.”

Jones, averaging a sensational 56.75 in this year’s competition, has excelled for the rapids in what has been a seismic middle order effort during the 50-over competition.

The middle order batter says tomorrow’s cup final is a chance to repay the people close to the players who have sacrificed time and commitments and allowed them to flourish during the 2025 campaign.

“There’s a lot of people coming from the club and obviously the families that are all involved with all the lads.

“It’ll just be really special. I think the whole point and the whole reason why you play cricket is to win trophies and to do it in front of your friends and family.

“They have given up and sacrificed so much for you as cricketer. Your kids, wives and girlfriends. So they’re ultimately the biggest support, the biggest fans, and it’d be great to lift the trophy in front of them.”

Semi-final result: Bt Yorkshire by 18 runs (DLS)

Group stage finish: 2nd

One to watch: Ali Orr

After losing out in last week’s Vitality Blast T20 final against Somerset, Hampshire will be looking to finish their white ball season on a high and avenge their earlier group stage defeat against Saturday’s opponents.

Champions in 2018, Hampshire have twice made the final since, coming out runners up in both 2023 and 2019.

The Southampton-based outfit mounted a late charge to secure second place in the group stages of this year’s competition, before qualifying for the final by beating Middlesex in the quarter-final and edging past Yorkshire in a dramatic semi-final.

With question marks over the availability of captain Nick Gubbins’, who sustained an injury in his side’s recent Rothesay County Championship fixture in Taunton, the onus may fall upon other members of the side to step up on the big stage.

One player Hampshire may look to for some runs at the top of the order is Ali Orr, who has enjoyed a fine run of form in this year’s One Day Cup.

Averaging 49.20 across the competition, Orr has two hundreds and one fifty to his name, with a high-score of 131 coming in his team’s win over Leicestershire.

A longer form player, Orr will look to occupy the crease and set the platform from the top for his side to kick on and go big against a disciplined and in-form Worcestershire bowling attack, with the stage set for a cracking contest.