Friday, June 4th, 2021

CAREER-BEST SCORES FOR BANTON AND MILTON SHINE IN T20 DOUBLEHEADER

Jacques Banton and Alex Milton hit career-best T20 scores for Worcestershire Seconds during their doubleheader with Warwickshire Seconds at Barnt Green.

Banton smashed 72 off 49 balls in Game One to surpass his previous best effort of 46 versus Nottinghamshire at New Road in 2019.

Milton hit an unbeaten 77 off 48 deliveries in Game Two to overtake the 53 against Warwickshire at Stourport, also in 2019.

But it was the Bears who came out on top in both games, winning Game One by four wickets and Game Two by 85 runs.

Rapids Vitality Blast captain Moeen Ali scored 32 off 21 balls with three sixes and two fours in Game One and added 58 for the second wicket with Banton.

Banton was eventually one of four victims of left-arm spinner Jake Lintott, and he hit two sixes, and nine fours as Worcestershire totalled 158-6.

Moeen picked up one wicket for 29 in three overs, trapping Jacob Bethell lbw for 18.

Josh Baker bowled a fine spell of 4-0-17-2 with Ed Bragg, 2-26, and Ari Karvelas, 1-29, the other wicket-takers as Warwickshire, thanks to 87 not out from Ed Pollock, reached 159-6 off 18.2 overs.

In Game Two, Warwickshire totalled 235-3 – the highest total conceded by Worcestershire in the Second Eleven T20 competition.

Chris Benjamin scored 95 not out off 43 balls and Bethell 60 not out from 30 deliveries with Adam Finch, 1-52, Bragg, 1-51, and Baker, 1-55, each collecting one scalp.

Milton fought a lone hand in reply with last man Karvelas (17), the only other player into double figures.

The wicket-keeper batsman cleared the boundary twice and hit eight fours as Worcestershire were dismissed for 150 in 19 overs.