This week marks 35 years since Worcestershire triumphed over Lancashire in the unforgettable Benson and Hedges Cup final at Lords, and to celebrate the anniversary, we are taking a look back on one of the most memorable days in the Club’s proud history.
After winning three out of their four group matches, Worcestershire qualifed to the quarter-final stages as group winners, sneaking past Kent thanks to a Tom Moody century, setting up a semi-final date with Essex.
Moody was again the hero that day, scoring an unbeaten 72 after Lord Ian Botham had helped himself to three wickets, as Worcestershire cruised to the final, chasing down Essex’s modest 104 with nine wickets in hand.
Having booked their place in the final, Worcestershire faced off against Lancashire at Lords on July 13th, 1991, in a repeat of the final from just a year earlier.
The Pears lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Allocated 55 overs to bat under competition rules, opening pair on the day Tim Curtis and Tom Moody made their way to the middle, only to fall early on in the piece and slip to 38-2.
This saw iconic duo Graeme Hick and Damian D’Oliveira come together and add a fluent 59 for the third wicket, with Hick dismissing his first ball through point for four with a dismissive cut shot, before Wasim Akram got the better of D’Oliveira when he was caught for 25.
Hick, playing in his third final for the Club, continued, taking the driving seat with new man Botham, easing his way past fifty as Worcestershire kicked on towards a competitive score.
Riding a wave of aggressive bouncers from Pakistani quick Wasim Akram, Hick dug and counter-attacked with defiance, despite losing partner Botham (19 from 46) and skipper Phil Neale in quick succession.
Going on to make a superb and by this point almost inevitable contribution for his side, Hick was eventually removed for a fine 88 off 126 balls, with Paul Allott taking a stunning, diving caught and bowled.
Akram helped himself to two more, as Steve Rhodes (13) came and went, but an unbeaten stand of 33 between Richard Illingworth and Neal Radford saw Worcestershire set Lancashire 237 to win.
It was Radford who made the inroads early on in Lancashire’s reply, taking the scalps of Gehan Mendis, bowled for 14 and Mike Atherton for five, whilst D’Oliveira’s run out of Lancashire Captain Neil Fairbrother saw Worcestershire on top at 32-3.
The match will live long in the memory for numerous reasons, but the unique use of a reserve day is arguably one of the most prominent, when at 55-3, rain ended the day’s play.
Forced back the following morning in order to finalise the result, a buoyant Worcestershire took two further scalps before Lancashire reached 100.
Botham claimed the scalp of Grame Lloyd when he was caught by Hick, before Hick took a second catch when Graeme Dilley (2-19) nicked off Mike Watkinson.
The decisive moment was delivered by Neal Radford, when he claimed the wicket of top-scorer Graeme Fowler for 54, as Worcestershire pressed home their advantage at the home of cricket.
No other Lancashire batter was able to make a score above 20 as the lower-order fell away under growing pressure from Newport and Dilley, who claimed the last wicket of Paul Allot courtesy of a safe catch from Phil Neale, cueing the scenes of jubilation.
Securing victory by 65 runs, it was no surprise that Hick was awarded player of the match for his outstanding contribution with the bat, with Worcestershire fans able to celebrate lifting a ninth major trophy on the back of his tremendous display.
