Match Details VS Hampshire
Metro Bank One Day Cup: Worcestershire Rapids v Hampshire
Venue: Visit Worcestershire New Road
Date: Wednesday 13th August
Scheduled start time: 11am
Worcestershire return to action at Visit Worcestershire New Road on Wednesday, as they entertain Hampshire in the third instalment of Group A’s 2025 Metro Bank One Day Cup.
With both sides harbouring realistic ambitions of winning the tournament this season, Wednesday’s clash could go a long way in deciding if either side makes it into September’s final.
Last Time Out
Isaac Mohammed scored a maiden half-century to get Worcestershire’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign off the ground with victory at Chelmsford.
The 17-year-old opener, who only made his first-team debut in the Vitality Blast less than two months ago, played enterprisingly in laying the foundations for Worcestershire’s 60-run win against Essex with 28 balls to spare.
Worcestershire’s 340-9 was built around four half-centuries from top-order batsmen, who shared 11 of 12 sixes in the innings with Isaac landing four of them. His 63 from 75 balls was the catalyst before Kashif Ali (80 from 73) and Jake Libby (70 from 63) put on 110 in 17 overs, as Ethan Brookes (56) helped the visitors to 340-9 at the end of their 50-overs.
In response, Brookes’ superb three wicket haul and two more wickets from Fateh Singh (2-38), led the charge as the Rapids improved their bowling efficiency from Thursday’ fixture to bowl Essex out for 280 and seal an impressive 60-run win.
Inside The Camp
Worcestershire starlet Henry Cullen is looking to maximise his sustained run in the Metro Bank One Day Cup side, as his Rapids side entertain Hampshire in their third group game
After featuring towards the back end of the Vitality T20 Blast campaign, Cullen is enjoying his role as the first choice keeper-batter in the 50-over competition, impacting games with both the bat and the gloves.
The 22-year-old started the List A season in style, blitzing 38 not-out from just 12 balls against Herefordshire in the warm-up clash, before scoring a quick fire 27 against Notts in the enthralling last-ball tie.
With an opportunity to show his skills on the main stage at Visit Worcestershire New Road, the academy graduate is eager to keep up his good form against Hampshire.
“I have been around the group for a while now, but the lads have made the transition so easy for me that all I have had to do is focus on my game and ensure I am doing the best I can whenever I go out to bat or take the gloves.
“The first two games have been full of positives for us as a group, obviously we know we let ourselves down a bit towards the back end of the first game, but we went again away at Essex and backed up our batting with a really sound bowling effort.
“Personally I have had a couple opportunities to have a quick look and try add some impetus to our innings at the back end of things, but what I love about my role is that if I don’t quite go as well with the gloves or the bat first-up, I have the chance to put it right in the second innings.”
With Hampshire heading into Wednesday’s fixture with an unblemished record in the competition, an eagerly anticipated match-up awaits, with the stakes high for the hosts as they look to better last year’s quarter-final finish and get their hands on some white-ball silverware for the first time since 2018’s historic T20 Blast victory.
Cullen, who made his Rapids debut back in 2022, has caught the eye on numerous occasions with his fearless batting approach and fluent glove work.
The youngster is not content with just catching the eye, however, and is fully focussed on extending his recent run of form in the competition through the group stage and beyond.
“The games come thick and fast, so we haven’t had loads of time to stop and think about what has been and gone, we know where we need to focus and that is the same for me individually – I am just working hard on improving my skills.
“When it comes to batting or my keeping, I want to be at my best every time I go out there, so I will just keep doing what I have been and trying to take my chance when it comes around.
“We are playing a very good outfit in Hampshire on Wednesday who are unbeaten, so its has been all eyes on that game and looking forward to being back at home.”
The Opposition
Last result: Bt Essex by five wickets
Table position: 2nd
One to watch: Eddie Jack
Hampshire have been a force in 50-over cricket for a couple of generations, having only failed to qualify for the knockouts in one of the last six editions of the One-Day Cup.
With largely the same set of players to pick from as 2024, Hampshire have experience at all ages, and with back to back wins at the start of this year’s competition, the Utilita Bowl-based side will be expecting another run deep into the tournament.
Eddie Jack might still only be 19, but he has certainly graduated from simply being a “young gun”.
The tall and very quick fast bowler put Test players KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal in his back pocket when playing for England Lions earlier in the summer, where Andrew Flintoff became a big fan.
Squad vs Hampshire
