Worcestershire 2nd XI fell to a 60-run defeat against a star-studded Warwickshire in the 2nd XI T20 Central Group game at Edgbaston Community Sports Ground on Monday.
Speedster Jack Home returned figures of 2-34 as the hosts piled up 231-3, anchored by Hamza Shaikh’s stunning 122 not-out.
JP Lees top-scored with an enterprising 42-ball-71 for the Rapids, but the visitors struggled to keep up with the required rate as Alexei Kervezees’s side slipped to a second defeat of the campaign.
There was no lack of quality on display from either side, as Worcestershire skipper Henry Cullen confirmed Ben Allison, Jack Home and Isaac Mohammed were all in a Rapids eleven that was brimming with young stars of the future.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, Pathway prospects Lucian Brockman and Asad Azami were given the opportunity to bowl at a Bears outfit bolstered by the availability of first-class regulars Chris Woakes, Kai Smith, Michael Booth and Taz Ali.
It was England U19 star Home, who made the first breakthrough for his side in just the third over of the contest; however, when the seamer saw opener Nahal caught behind by Cullen, having got a sharp ball to climb on the batter and catch his edge for two.
From then on, however, the hosts dominated, as Kai Smith and Shaikh got to work, unleashing a brutal assault on the visiting attack that saw them compile a 138-run stand in under 12 overs.
Ben Allison and Brockman persisted in their search for an opening, but the Bears’ batters offered next to no chances.
Home (2-34) returned in the 15th over to pick up his second wicket when he eventually ended Smith’s blitz for 68 from just 46 balls, but Shaikh continued his offensive at number three, despite youngster Asad Azami (1-43) taking the wicket of Jani for two when the young spinner hurried one through.
Shaikh batted through with Chris Woakes (33* off 12), to finish on a superb 122 not-out from just 53 balls, hitting 20 boundaries in the process of guiding his side to an imposing 231-3.
Isaac Mohammed’s sparkling start to the season was ended by Woakes as the teenager was caught without scoring in the first over of the reply.
Cullen once again made a bright start, partnered by trialist JP Lees, as the pair got stuck into the Bears’ attack inside the powerplay.
Racing to 69-1 in their attempt to keep up with the required run rate that was edging towards 13 an over, Cullen blitzed six boundaries before he was caught for 34 in the ninth over.
Lees played a lone hand, reaching an eye-catching half-century off 33 balls as Eckland (16) and Jones (0) soon came and went.
At 145-5, the dismissal of Lees for a superb 71 from just 42 balls signalled the end for Worcestershire’s chances of pulling off a remarkable chase, with Khan (29 from 16) the only other batter to make a significant contribution as the Bears closed out a 60-run victory.
Attention now turns to Vitality T20 Blast preparations, with the visit of Northants Steelbacks 2nd XI the next date in the Rapids diary on Wednesday, at New Road.
