Riki Wessels smashed 86 off 53 balls as Worcestershire Seconds defeated Northamptonshire Seconds by 36 runs in a Second Eleven T20 encounter at Wantage Road.
Seconds captain Wessels warmed up for the Vitality Blast by hitting five sixes and six fours against his former county after Worcestershire had been put into bat and totalled 198-5.
The opener added 43 for the second wicket with Josh Dell (19) and then 114 for the third wicket with Alex Milton in 11 overs.
Milton hit eight boundaries in his 36 ball knock before he was caught trying to help a delivery from Amrit Basra around the corner.
Wessels fell in the penultimate over when he was run out after colliding with Xavi Clarke when attempting a quick single through to the keeper off Paul van Meekeren.
Richard Levi got the Northamptonshire innings off to a flying start, but his opening partner Basra (6) was bowled by Adam Finch with 40 on the board.
Levi smote eight sixes in his 62 off 23 balls, but he was undone by Charlie Morris and spooned a catch to mid-on at 73-2 in the sixth over.
Finch accounted for the experienced Josh Cobb (6) as Dell took him at point.
Ed Bragg then bowled a crucial mid-innings spell in which he had Ben Curran (17) caught on the mid-wicket boundary, bowled former Worcestershire player Wayne Parnell (16) and had James Sales (0) stumped by Milton.
Northamptonshire closed on 162-9, with Bragg finishing with 3-19 from three overs, Finch 2-18 in four, Jacques Banton 2-27 in four, Morris 1-27 in four and Josh Dickenson 1-15 in two.
