Worcestershire Academy player Seth Essenhigh was the batting hero for the Midlands in their one wicket win over South-West in the ECB Bunbury Festival at the National Performance Centre, Loughborough.
Essenhigh came to the wicket with the Midlands 110-5 in pursuit of a 169 target in 40 overs and he dominated the remainder of the innings.
The total was on 153 when the ninth wicket fell but Essenhigh saw his side over the finishing line in spectacular fashion by striking successive sixes off Manny Lumsden.
Essenhigh, a member of the 2022-2023 Academy intake, ended unbeaten on 47 from 25 balls and hit three sixes and four fours.
Fin Goodman, a member of the Worcestershire Emerging Players Pathway, had also played an important role in making 18 of an opening stand of 59 with Ronak Rajashekar (39).
But then wickets fell at regular intervals until Essenhigh’s heroics.
Another Worcestershire EPP product in Toby Cox, had earlier made a positive contribution with the ball.
He took the new ball and made the first breakthrough with nine on the board and also picked up the final wicket as South-West were bowled out for 168.
Cox ended with figures of 8-1-23-2 and was his side’s most economical bowler.
