Worcestershire Rapids took another impressive step towards the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One Day Cup as they overcame Hampshire by eight wickets at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
An excellent all-round performance with ball and then bat secured a fifth win in seven games for the second placed Rapids who triumphed with 13.4 overs to spare.
It keeps them on course to clinch the top three spot needed to go through to the next stage of the 50 over tournament.
Victory also maintained the Rapids 100% home record in the competition after previous victories over Middlesex, Durham and Kent.
Worcestershire’s inexperienced and young attack again performed admirably to dismiss Hampshire for 164 in 47.4 overs.
Jack Home continued his impressive form with another three wickets to take his tally to 15 in four One Day Cup games with some more pacey and threatening bowling.
Ethan Brookes also maintained his excellent run with the ball and spinners Fateh Singh and Tom Hinley had such a tight grip on proceedings that they returned combined figures of 20-1-59-1.
Keeper Gareth Roderick was also again an ever reliable performer and ended with four catches and a stumping.
Roderick and Ed Pollock then ensured that there would be no alarms for the Rapids in reaching their modest target with a superb century partnership.
Pollock was the dominant partner in racing to his half century off just 44 balls with one six and 10 fours.
But Roderick was the perfect foil and his 47 means he has now amassed 385 runs in this year’s One Day Cup.
The Rapids made two changes with Home and Hishaam Khan replacing the rested Tom Taylor and Harry Darley.
Hampshire also made changes with Joe Weatherley, released to play by Southern Brave, and Mohammad Abbas coming in for Joseph Eckland and Eddie Jack.
Hampshire captain Nick Gubbins opted to bat on winning the toss on the same wicket used for Wednesday’s encounter against Kent.
Tommy Sturgess took the new ball and struck in his second over when Weatherley (10) attempted a cut and edged through to Roderick.
Fletcha Middleton and Nick Gubbins added 36 but in the 10th and final over of the powerplay the former on 23 went to pull Hishaam Khan and fell to a good catch by Singh running back to backward square leg.
Home came into the attack and claimed the wicket of Gubbins and Ben Brown in the space of three deliveries.
Gubbins tried to leave a shortish ball but the ball hit the back of his bat and went through to Roderick.
Brown then nicked a delivery which moved away from him and Roderick pouched his third catch of the innings.
Brookes, Worcestershire most economical bowler in this year’s tournament, also enjoyed success in his first over as Tom Prest mistimed a pull to mid on where Khan took a fine low catch.
Toby Albert (26) was fortunate to inside edge Home for a boundary but the introduction of spinner Fateh Singh led to his downfall as he was trapped lbw after sweeping.
There was another scalp for Singh as Organ, having struggled for 35 balls in making nine, picked out Rob Jones at short cover.
Brookes kept the pressure on from the New Road during a frugal spell of 7-1-12-1.
Kyle Abbott then pushed forward to Tom Hinley and was neatly stumped by Roderick.
Spinners Singh and Hinley kept a tight grip on proceedings and finished with combined figures of 20-1-59-3.
The ninth wicket pair of Dominic Kelly and Brad Wheal batted sensibly in adding 36 before Home returned to the attack and bowled the latter as he attempted a big hit.
Some late blows from Kelly (45) lifted the final total before he tried to sweep Brookes and the ball ballooned up for Roderick to complete another dismissal.
Home finished with figures of 9-0-33-3, Brookes 7.4-1-15-2, Singh 10-0-27-2, Sturgess 5-0-23-1, Khan 6-0-31-1 and Hinley 10-1-32-1.
The Rapids were given a positive start to their reply by Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick and negotiated their way through the initial powerplay against the new ball attack of Abbott and Mohammad Abbas.
Roderick straight drove Abbott to the boundary and turned the same bowler through mid wicket to the ropes while Pollock collected three boundaries in an over from Abbas.
Worcestershire reached 43-0 after 10 overs and the runs continued to flow.
Pollock greeted the entry of Wheal into the attack with a six over mid wicket and successive fours off the same bowler helped him through to an excellent half century.
His fine knock ended on 67 out of 104 in the 23rd over when he sliced Prest to backward point.
Roderick (47) fell at extra cover off Prest but Rob Jones and One Day Cup captain Jake Libby soon saw their side over the finishing line.
Fateh Singh, who bowled another superb spell, said: “The team have been excellent today. We came thinking Hampshire have been good in this competition and we just wanted to give them a really good test.
“Libbs (Jake Libby) said in the chat before the game ‘I want you boys to treat this as a knockout game’ and almost basically put your lives on it.
“The way we started, the opening bowlers started well, got a wicket apiece, Homey came on and did what he does, got two or three wickets.
“It allowed me to then come on and bowl at the middle order with their team in a sticky situation at 70-5.
“As a spinner, it is never easy bowling but if you can on at it’s 70-5 and two batters are under pressure, then you love it.
“Jack (Home) was bowling and myself and Libbs were at mid on-mid off and we said ‘he just creates chances, doesn’t he?’ It’s a happy knack.
“It’s just good for me playing cricket, and even better if you do well and get a few wickets, it’s a nice feeling.”
