Tom Hinley impressed with the ball on his senior Worcestershire debut before Ed Pollock smashed a 60 ball century in a nine wicket win over Wales in the National Counties Showcase game at Sudbrook CC.
Spinner Hinley bowled a key spell of 10 overs on the trot in the middle part of the innings to reduce Wales from a promising 94-2 in the 20th over to 133-5 and give Worcestershire control.
The 21-year-old finished with the excellent figures of 10-1-37-3.
Worcestershire Metro Bank One-Day Captain, Jake Libby, and young pace bowler Jack Home also ended with three wickets apiece as Wales were bowled out for 182 in 41.2 overs.
After Hinley’s decisive burst, they claimed the last five wickets between them for 25 runs.
Then Pollock showed again how dangerous and destructive a player he can be in white ball cricket in an ideal warm up for Wednesday’s Metro Bank One Day Cup opener with Middlesex at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
He raced to 50 off just 27 balls and completed his century with his second six – off Cian Davies – in addition to 17 fours.
It continued on from the form he had showed when making 67 off 47 balls in the Vitality Blast encounter with Derbyshire.
Pollock ended unbeaten on 120 from 66 deliveries as Worcestershire reached their target in just 21.5 overs.
He was given excellent support by fellow opener Rehaan Edavalath whose own half century came up from 53 balls.
Hinley has been playing regularly for Worcestershire Seconds this summer after spending a decade with Sussex where he was part of the pathway since the age of 11.
He captained their teams from Under-16s onwards as well as London-East at the 2020 Super Fours and was regarded as a top order batter-spinner during the age groups.
Hinley was named Sussex 2018 Under-15 Player Of The Year, made his County Championship debut in 2021 and signed a contract at Hove for the 2022 season.
He has also been playing for Oxfordshire this summer in National Counties cricket.
Worcestershire included their three new signings in pace bowlers Hishaam Khan, Tommy Sturgess and Hinley.
Wales captain Brad Wadlan won the toss and opted to bat first against a new ball attack of Harry Darley, who began with a maiden, and Khan who is part of the South Asian Cricket Academy.
Darley, who played in four Vitality Blast matches this summer, made the first breakthrough in his third over when bowling Harry Friend (10) with 25 on the board.
The 50 came up in the 11th over before Sturgess took over from Khan and a double bowling change saw Home, who made his Blast debut on Thursday versus Derbyshire Falcons, replace Darley (6-1-22-1).
Home claimed his first scalp – also in his third over – by bowling Callum Nicholls to end a second wicket partnership of 54 with Steffan Roberts.
Hinley quicky made his mark with a double breakthrough with two wickets in two overs.
He accounted for Roberts (33) at leg gulley with Darley snaffling the chance and then disposed of Wadlan (2) who holed out to mid off with Sturgess making no mistake with the catch at 97-4 in the 22nd over.
It became three wickets for Hinley with Wales keeper Henry Hurle (26) the next to fall at deep square leg, with Darley again showing a safe pair of hands.
Worcestershire Metro Bank One-Day Cup captain, Jake Libby, brought himself into the attack and he struck by bowling Milo Ayres (10).
Home came back into the attack and bowled Cian Davies (26) to earn his second breakthrough and then Libby had Tim Moses (11) caught behind by Henry Cullen.
Wickets continued to fall and there was a third success for Home when dismissing Joseph Davies (2) with Hinley the catcher at mid wicket.
The innings was wrapped up when Libby held onto a return catch from Romano Franco (1).
He finished with figures of 6.2-0-32-3 and Home 8-0-37-3.
When Worcestershire batted, they were given a flying start by Ed Pollock and Rehaan Edavalath and the 50 came up in just 6.2 overs.
Pollock was particularly aggressive and hit Davies for SIX successive fours in one over.
But Edavalath also kept the score ticking over at a good rate and hit four boundaries on the trot.
Wales were powerless to stop the flow of runs and the 100 was reached in 11.2 overs as Pollock continued to pepper the boundary.
Edavalath was eventually dismissed for 60 after a stand of 169 with Pollock but three fours in four balls from the left hander sealed victory.
The Rapids are next in action at home on Wednesday as the Metro Bank One Day Cup begins.
