Worcestershire Rapids produced a remarkable bowling resurgence to defeat Glamorgan by 15 runs in a major boost to the side’s hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Vitality T20 Blast.
Gareth Roderick’s fine individual cameo of 71 from just 43 balls was the standout knock in a Rapids batting innings that lost momentum after a bright start, with the visitors scrapping their way to 161-9.
With honours even at the halfway stage of the chase, it was Usama Mir (2-17) who wrestled back the momentum for the visitors in a clinical middle-over spell and set up a grandstand finish.
Under huge pressure, it was Fateh Singh who produced the crucial spell at the death, taking two wickets for just two runs in a decisive 16th over that teed up a thrilling victory to keep Worcestershire’s quarter-final hopes very much alive.
The Rapids travelled to Sophia Gardens on Sunday for perhaps the most pivotal game of the Blast campaign so far, taking on rivals and fellow quarter-final chasers Glamorgan.
Alan Richardson made two changes to his side, with Fateh Singh and Beyers Swanepoel coming into the side for Sikandar Raza and the injured Brett D’Oliveira.
Adam Hose won the toss and elected to bat first, with the home side striking early on a used wicket when Isaac Mohammed was bowled with just the fifth ball of the innings when Ben Kellaway snuck one through his defences.
Taking the attack to the hosts, new man Gareth Roderick put the hammer down from the outset, slamming successive fours from the second over and helping himself to 16 runs off the third over, depositing McAndrew over long on for a big six in the process.
Worcestershire’s keeper-batter raced to 32, striking at over 200, but lost partner Kashif Ali in the final over of the powerplay when his attritional innings was ended for five.
Ending the powerplay in a steady position at 52-2, skipper Adam Hose found the fence three times early on in his knock, shortly before Roderick registered a first fifty of the tournament midway through the ninth over, driving his side forward in a superb 27-ball blitz.
The pressure was piled on Roderick when partner Hose (16) chopped onto his own stumps, shortly before Henry Cullen departed for a six when his attempt to play an inventive shot behind square could only find Tim van der Gurgten as the visitors slipped to 93-4.
The mid-innings slump worsened when a move to send pinch hitter Usama Mir in at number six backfired as his mistimed heave down the ground found the unmoved Asa Tribe at long on, to hand the momentum back to the hosts.
Roderick took matters into his own hands, targeting the leg spin of Mason Crane to superb effect, launching back-to-back boundaries with a huge six into the stand over midwicket followed by an intelligent reverse scoop over third man for four.
Having spearheaded the Worcestershire innings, Roderick’s fine individual cameo was eventually ended for 71 as he was bowled trying to revitalise his side’s wilting innings.
Facing just 43 balls and striking 10 boundaries, the number three was quickly followed by T20 debutant Swanepoel, whose dismissal for 11 compounded the Worcestershire woes at 121-7.
Tom Taylor (19) landed some lusty blows before Waite was caught in incredible fashion by Jimmy Neesham in the deep, but 27 runs from the last two overs helped the Rapids claw their way to a final total of 161-9.
Tom Taylor and Beyers Swanepoel took the new ball for the away side, who were in vital need of early momentum.
With skipper Adam Hose and Matthew Waite off the field, the absence of fellow regulars Ethan Brookes, Brett D’Oliveira and Sikandar Raza did not deter the Rapids, who were galvanised under the stewardship of stand-in captain Gareth Roderick.
As has been so often the case, Taylor forced the first breakthrough when he took the wicket of Kiran Carlson for just 19, when the dangerous opener top-edged a pull shot into the grateful arms of Gareth Roderick.
After conceding 13 runs from his first over and subsequently changing ends, debutant Swanepoel hit back with two wickets in as many balls to rein in the visitors at 56-3.
Usama Mir showed great athleticism to hold onto a low catch at short third man to remove Will Smale for 15, before Swanepoel found the edge of key man Asa Tribe, who nicked behind to Roderick with his first ball.
Mir entered the fray shortly after the fielding restrictions were lifted, conceding just eight from his first over, whilst Matthew Waite assumed the mantle from Sikandar Raza as the quest for Glamorgan scalps went on.
The Pakistan international returned in style to remove Sean Dickson LBW for 19 as the leg-spinner’s second over went for just four to help build some pressure.
86-4 at the halfway stage, it was a moment of Jake Libby genius that renewed Rapids’ belief, when the substitute fielder reacted fastest to a loose ball that was dropped into extra cover and produced a pinpoint throw to run-out Ben Kellaway, who was in and set on 43.
The complexion of the game changed once more as Mir took a second wicket from his outstanding four-over spell, as another sub fielder held onto a tough high catch in the deep, with Dan Lategan the man to remove Neesham.
Defending 44 from the final four overs, Fateh Singh came up trumps for the visitors by bowling Cooke for 14 with his first ball of his second over, before zipping one through the defences of the threatening Dan Douthwaite, returning figures of 2-1 from the 16th over to tighten Worcestershire’s grip on the match.
The spinner returned, conceding just two runs from the 18th, before Swanepoel struck from the River End courtesy of a spectacular, diving catch from Lategan at long off, to put the visitors within touching distance of a crucial victory.
Trusted with the final over of the match, Singh (3-17) claimed his third wicket of the day and sealed a dramatic win for his team as Lategan took another safe catch on the edge of the ring to hand the Rapids a vital 15-run victory.
Attentions now turn to New Road on Friday, where the Rapids entertain Gloucestershire in another crucial fixture in the quest for quarter-final cricket, with wins for Somerset and Warwickshire elsewhere on Sunday currently leaving Worcestershire in the strongest position of the side’s chasing a best placed third place finish.
Gloucestershire Tickets
