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.
Worcestershire’s openers put on 60 before Nick Browne snaffled a leading-edge skier in the covers to dismiss Brett D’Oliveira.
Isaac, meanwhile, had looked in trouble early on as Shane Snater benefited from the green tinge left of the wicket to gain lift and carry that had the youngster fending outside off-stump.
It did not last long as the left-hander took control and reached his maiden half-century in 67 balls. His four sixes were equally distributed between long-off and square leg.
He departed when he misjudged a ball of fuller length from Tom Westley that beat his tentative forward prod and rapped him on the pad.
Kashif and Libby’s second successive century stand was less thrilling than Mohammed’s innings, but with lots of nudging and nurdling they kept the scoreboard ticking along.
Kashif reached his fifty by punching Luc Benkenstein through the covers. However, he had earlier been hit on his right hip, and when he reached 58, called for the aid of a runner.
Re-enter Isaac. Despite his mobility being severely restricted, Kashif still managed to launch his next ball over midwicket for six. His evident discomfort was ended, though, when he lofted Benkenstein to long leg.
Brookes was a whirlwind of hyper-activity with four sixes in his 23-minute fifty, reached with a delicate leg glance for his fifth four. He departed at 297-4 when caught at short third man. The late wickets were largely self-inflicted.
In response, Essex opener Robin Das took his tally to 147 runs in three innings with back-to-back fifties. While others got in, they just as quickly got out and the target was never seriously threatened. Brookes made sure of that with 3-52.
Ben Allison ended his former team-mates’ opening stand of 71 when Matt Critchley stepped aside to give himself room and was bowled. Das reached fifty from 49 balls but next ball was caught just inside the midwicket boundary.
Charlie Allison dug in for a 46-run stand with Westley before he was bowled off his pads by Fateh Singh and Benkenstein’s belligerent 23 from 17 balls was ended when he drove D’Oliveira to extra cover.
Brookes bowled with excellent control for his second successive three wicket haul, as he and Fateh Singh worked through the Essex middle order.
Westley also fell stepping away from his wicket against Singh for 43; Simon Fernandes chipped to short midwicket and Noah Thain was caught-and-bowled by Brookes as Essex’s reply spluttered and eventually fell away, being bowled out for 280 as the Rapids notched their first win of the campaign in dominant style.
