Worcestershire Rapids kickstarted the 2026 Vitality Blast T20 with an impressive all-round performance, spearheaded by Isaac Mohammed’s top-order blitz, to seal an 18-run win over Leicestershire Foxes.
Isaac blasted 42 from just 26 balls in an eye-catching innings that saw the teenager slam six-fours and two-sixes, before contributions from Kashif Ali (28) and debutant Sikandar Raza (25) saw the Rapids up to a competitive 186-9 at the break.
Regular wickets in the early exchanges kept the visitors on top, with Adam Finch (2-32) returning the best figures, whilst Tom Taylor and Usama Mir grabbed a wicket apiece as the Foxes wobbled at 81-4.
Despite an unbeaten 89-run stand between Mike Kelly and Ben Cox, the Rapids squeezed their opponents through the final stages and kept the pressure on with a proficient bowling display that earned Brett D’Oliveira’s side an opening day victory.
Losing the toss and being invited to bat first, the Rapids made a high-octane start to their Vitality T20 Blast season, blitzing 13 from the first over, with Isaac and D’Oliveira both finding the boundary early on.
It was 18-year-old Isaac who kicked on in the second over, depositing Josh Davey for two fours and a huge six over midwicket as the Rapids raced out of the blocks.
D’Oliveira was given a reprieve midway through the third over as the Foxes flustered under a catchable chance, but the skipper’s bright start was curtailed in the fourth over as he was caught in the deep for 15.
Kashif Ali joined Isaac, with the teenage ace crashing Ben Mike for two more boundaries as the Rapids passed fifty in the fifth over.
After making a career-high T20 score, Isaac saw his brutal assault ended on the last ball of the powerplay as he miscued a lofted drive, departing for an enterprising 42 from just 26 balls, with the Rapids 60-2.
Adam Hose and Kashif took stock as spin entered the equation from the Bennett End; Kashif looked to play his more aggressive natural game against seamer Josh Hull, helping himself to 10 off the ninth over of the match.
Reaching the halfway stage 89-2, the visitors were well set, with Hose showing his authority by playing a commanding pull shot to the boundary at the start of the 11th over, but Kashif’s inventive scoop for six two balls later would be his last act, as he edged behind looking to access the off side as Ethan Brookes came to the middle at 100-3.
A stunning lofted cover drive for six looked to be the catalyst for Hose, but his attempted slog sweep of the next ball ended his cameo for 19.
Debutant Sikandar Raza partnered Brookes, and after a cautious start, the Zimbabwe skipper began to cut loose, timing his blitz to perfection, smashing two fours and a six off Trevaskis in the 15th over as the Rapids nudged their run-rate back towards 10 an over.
A sucker punch in the 16th saw Worcestershire check their progress, however, as the visitors lost two wickets in the space of three balls.
Brookes (18) was first caught at deep backward square-leg as the all-rounder mistimed his attempt to clear the legside boundary, before key man Raza fell for an impressive 25 from 15 balls.
At 151-6 with four overs left to bat, lower-order pair Gareth Roderick (11) and Usama Mir (7) chipped in, whilst the hopes of the Rapids reaching a competitive 180 rested with Matthew Waite and Tom Taylor.
A final flourish helped the Rapids up to 186 at the completion of their 20 overs, with Brett D’Oliveira’s side returning to the field after the change of innings in a very evenly contested match.
Tom Taylor and Matthew Waite took the new ball under the floodlights, with Waite using all his variations to concede just three off his first over.
As the Foxes looked to shift through the gears, Sikandar Raza was introduced into the attack for the first time in Rapids colours, but it was Taylor, handed a third over at the top for his side, who made the first breakthrough when he castled Stephen Eskinazi for nine midway through the fifth over, with the Foxes 27-1.
Despite conceding just four runs from his first over, D’Oliveira shuffled his pack and introduced Adam Finch into the attack for the final over of the powerplay, a decision that was vindicated just two balls later when the seamer had dangerman Sol Budinger (16) caught by the safe hands of the skipper at extra cover.
It was double delight for the Rapids, with Finch striking again just three balls later as a short ball hurried Rishi Patel, with the batter splicing the ball straight to Worcestershire’s skipper, this time stationed at midwicket, where he took a sharp catch to reduce the Foxes to 32-3.
With Taylor’s final over held back, Usama Mir and Ethan Brookes exchanged overs for the cost of just 11 runs, as the visitors squeezed their opponents to 49-3 after eight overs.
With the required rate creeping up towards 12, Raza was reintroduced to no avail as Nick Kelly and Ashton Turner began to up the ante, with the latter sending Usama Mir’s first ball of the Pakistani’s second over into the stands.
Mir had the last laugh, breaking the partnership worth 49 as danger man Turner held out to substitute fielder Jake Libby at long off, with the game in the balance at 86-4 after 11 overs.
The tension began to build in the middle third of the innings as Brookes, Waite and Raza all traded overs with the Rapids keeping their noses in front as the required rate hit 15.
It was former Worcestershire employee Ben Cox who remained a threat, whilst kiwi Kelly played the anchor role, as the contest entered a thrilling conclusion with the Rapids defending 64 from the final four overs.
Mir (1-30) finished his tidy spell before Raza followed suit as the Rapids closed in.
Finch held his nerve in the penultimate, and with 35 needed off the last, Waite conceded 16 as the visitors sealed an impressive 18-run win and start 2026 in winning style.
