A sublime second century of the campaign from Brett D’Oliveira anchored Worcestershire Rapids innings, as Worcestershire solidified their chances of a Metro Bank One Day Cup home semi-final with a hard-fought 16 run win over Leicestershire Foxes that went down to the final over of the match.
D’Oliveira finished on 107, after he and Dan Lategan had given the away side a 100 run head start in a fruitful opening partnership, before Rob Jones continued his fine recent form to score 60 and propel the visitors to an imposing total 0f 328 all-out.
Ben Gibbon and Ben Allison shone in the early exchanges to reduce the Foxes to 23-4, but a mammoth stand of 163 between Shan Masood and Ben Cox threatened to change the course of the game, before Ethan Brookes broke the stand at a crucial time for the visitors.
The bowlers chipped away at regular intervals and looked to have the game wrapped up, but Ben Mike’s fabulous late cameo of 72 not-out threatened to tear up the script, Ben Allison held on in the final over however and ensured the Rapids eventually secured victory.
Travelling to Leicestershire continuing their quest to secure a home quarter-final place in the Metro Bank One Day Cup, Worcestershire Rapids skipper Jake Libby won the toss and elected to bat first.
With Ben Gibbon making his first appearance of the competition and Jack Home rotated back in to the eleven, it was Tom Taylor and Khurram Shahzad who made way in an otherwise unchanged side.
Brett D’Oliveira and Dan Lategan asserted the visitors dominance early on as the pair settled in on a favourable batting surface, adding 100 for the first wicket with relative ease.
D’Oliveira passed fifty for the second time this campaign, making his way to the milestone at just under a run a ball as the experienced batter put his first-over dismissal in his previous outing against Glamorgan firmly behind him.
The impressive Lategan fell frustratingly short of a maiden List A half-century when he was trapped LBW for 34 after another very impressive outing at the top of the order for the Rapids.
Kashif Ali (7) and Jake Libby (8) both fell cheaply as the Rapids progress was momentarily reigned in, but D’Oliveira’s wonderful knock came to its crescendo when he reached three figures, raising his arms aloft to take in the applause of teammates and supporters alike having guided Worcestershire into a promising position.
His departure for 107 triggered the start of some middle-order cameos from Ethan Brookes and Henry Cullen, as the pair’s quick fire 20 and 37 respectively complimented another glorious innings being compiled by the in-form Rob Jones.
Fresh off his highest ever List A score compiled in the eye-catching run chase over Glamorgan last time out, Jones stroked his way to a fluent 67 from 59 balls, as the Rapids headed beyond the 300 mark and eyeing a score close to 350.
A cluster of late wickets put an end to any of those ambitions however, as the Rapids finished another confident batting display 328 all-out in the final over of the innings.
It was the two Ben’s who were the architects of Worcestershire’s stunning start with the ball, as Gibbon and Allison took two wickets apiece to reduce the home side to 23-4.
Gibbon made the dream start to the defence as he took a wicket with the third ball of the innings when he bowled Rishi Patel courtesy of a chop-on from a ball angled across the right-hander, before Allison had Sol Budinger caught by Jack Home close in on the off-side.
The duo repeated their tricks in the fifth and sixth over to remove Lewis Hill and Foxes skipper Peter Handscomb as the home side were sent reeling.
Shan Masood and Ben Cox came together for the Foxes however to launch a rebuild for their side that swung the course of the game dramatically, as the pair batted for 26 overs in a stand of 163 as the Rapids bowlers struggled to find a way past the two set batters.
As has been the case on numerous occasions this year, it was Brookes who delivered the key moment for his team in the 32nd over of the contest, when he combined with keeper Henry Cullen as the young gloveman took a superb catch down the leg-side after the ball caught the edge of Cox’s bat to spell the end of his innings for 76.
Allison doubled the Rapids’ delight in the very next over to see the back of Masood for 88, after the Pakistan international could only edge an attempted drive behind to Cullen.
At 188-6, it was the visitors who now had the tales up and were back in control, hunting down the remaining four-wickets required for victory.
Jack Home (2-20) bowled in spritely fashion as he weighed in with his first wicket of the afternoon when he outpaced Ian Holland with a fast short ball that was top-edged down to Allison at third man, before the duo harmonised again soon after to see the back of Trevaskis.
Despite later leaving the field with having picked up an injury midway through his sixth over, it was Matthew Waite who claimed the ninth wicket of the day in a vital wicket maiden in the 44th over, before Ben Mike’s valiant late cameo of 72 not-out prolonged the Rapids’ celebrations.
Ben Allison held his nerve in the final over as the game reached a nervy climax, to see his side to a 16-run win and keep the Rapids in good position in their quest for a home semi-final.
With news later filtering through that group leaders Gloucestershire had lost against Essex, the ‘Blue for Bakes’ clash with Surrey has taken on even more significance with Worcestershire now in a place to qualify straight into the last four, dependant on results this Tuesday.
