Ed Pollock hit his career best T20 Blast score for injury-hit Worcestershire and there were excellent contributions from young pace duo Jack Home and Harry Darley in a last ball setback against Derbyshire Falcons at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Pollock produced some excellent form in bringing up his first half century of a challenging campaign.
Worcestershire were indebted to a fine 67 off 47 balls from the opener which enabled them to total 169-8, a competitive score on a wicket where batting was not always easy.
Pollock struck eight fours and a six with former Worcestershire pace bowler Pat Brown (4-23) the pick of the Derbyshire bowlers.
He was well supported by Ethan Brookes whose rapid 30 took him past 300 Blast runs for the summer.
Academy player Home, who was making his Worcestershire debut alongside Henry Cullen, and Darley then showed their promise with the ball.
Home was rewarded with the wicket of Aneurin Donald and there were two more for Darley as the pair had combined figures of 8-0-59-2.
Derbyshire needed 55 off the final four overs but another ex Worcestershire player in Ross Whiteley saw the Falcons to a last ball victory with 41 off 22 balls.
The Rapids, without eight players through injury, were put into bat by Falcons captain Samit Patel on a used hybrid pitch.
Pollock was soon into his stride with two boundaries in an over from spinner Alex Thomson.
Former Worcestershire pace bowler Pat Brown struck in his first over when Brett D’Oliveira (6) was caught at cover.
Josh Cobb cleverly steered Brown through the vacant third man area and crashed the same bowler straight back past him to the boundary before being caught at backward square leg off the same bowler.
The Rapids reached 49-2 at the end of the six over powerplay and Pollock looked in good touch and a straight drive off Mitch Wagstaff took him into the 30s.
New batter Gareth Roderick used the reverse sweep to good effect to collect two fours and a six at Patel’s expense but was then fell to a sharp return catch off the same bowler.
Ethan Brookes went past 300 runs when he edged Thomson for four to bring up the Rapids 100 in the 12th over.
Pollock completed a 37 balls half century with seven fours.
Brookes raced to 30 off only 19 balls before he pulled Zak Chappell straight to deep mid wicket.
The safe hands of Whiteley ended Pollock’s fine knock, also at deep mid wicket, off Chappell.
Brown returned for the final over to claim his 20th victim of the campaign by bowling Rob Jones (9).
Tom Taylor (4) was unfortunate to be run out when a Jake Libby straight drive was deflected by Brown onto the stumps at the non striker’s end and Cullen (0) was pouched at cover.
There was warm applause for Home when he came into the Worcestershire attack for the first time in the third over.
The youngster was soon celebrating his first scalp as he bowled Donald for 28, of 12 balls, out of 33.
Darley also struck in his first over when Luis Reece (9) fell to a fine catch by Jake Libby at cover.
D’Oliveira then had Patel taken at long off at 102-4 in the 14th over.
Wayne Madsen batted well for 44 but then tried to ramp Brookes and was bowled before Whiteley settled the game in Derbyshire’s favour.
Worcestershire opener Ed Pollock, who top-scored for his side with 67 off 47 balls, said: “At the start of the day, with the amount of injuries we’ve had over the past week we came here going ‘can we snatch a win?’
“I think as the game went on we were thinking ‘can we win this’ and we will look back at this as maybe one we could have won.
“Despite all the injuries, we’ve run them really close, a very good side.
“It is about time I stood up (with the bat). I think it is two years since I got a score for Worcestershire.
“I’ve got a hell of a lot of runs in the bank to score but it was nice to get out there. I’ve been up and down the order but I got my chance at the top.
“It hasn’t quite gone my way in this competition but it was a bit of a silver lining to get that score and show what I can do.”
