Match Details VS Northants Steelbacks
Vitality Blast T20 Central & West Group: Worcestershire Rapids v Northants Steelbacks
Venue: New Road, Worcester
Date: Sunday 24th May
Scheduled start time: 2:30pm
Match preview sponsored by MSN Pharmacy Group.
Worcestershire Rapids open their Vitality Blast T20 account at New Road on Sunday, with all-rounder Sikandar Raza set to make his bow in front of an expectant home crowd as the early season charge for Blast glory continues.
A complete team performance away at Leicestershire Foxes secured an opening day victory to remember as Alan Richardson’s team sealed an 18-run win, with the Rapids looking to make it two games unbeaten with a win in the second group game.
The Latest
Fresh off the back of Friday’s top of the order exploits, Isaac Mohammed will be hoping to extend his run-scoring start to the campaign as he returns to action in front of an expectant New Road crowd.
Skipper Brett D’Oliveira was delighted with the returns provided by his overseas duo Sikandar Raza and Usama Mir, who both played vital roles n the opener at Uptonsteel Grace Road.
Adam Finch helped himself to a brace of wickets in a lively first T20 spell of the summer, bowling nicely in tandem with fellow seamers Ethan Brookes and Matthew Waite.
With the weather set fair again on Sunday, hopes will be high amongst the Worcestershire contingent that another structured batting performance can push the home side to another score in the region of 200.
Inside The Camp
Sikandar set to take centre stage as white ball wizard makes New Road bow
Overseas signings don’t come much bigger than the number one-ranked T20 all-rounder in the world, and this year he will be calling New Road home.
After captaining Zimbabwe at the ICC T20 World Cup earlier this year, Sikandar Raza was announced as Worcestershire Rapids’ second overseas acquisition for the 2026 Vitality Blast T20.
With a proven track record on the biggest stage, the well-travelled franchise star is set to bring his talents with both bat and ball to a Rapids side looking to regain the Blast trophy for the first time since 2018.
But Raza’s priority in his first week at the Club has been settling into his new environment and reacquainting himself with familiar faces.
“It is what I kind of expected, but I have settled into things very nicely here in Worcestershire. I flew in on Tuesday and just thought it was best to get straight to work on Wednesday.
“I wanted to get the jetlag out of the system and get some miles in the legs, so I feel good to go for Sunday.
“With franchise cricket, the world has become a bit of a smaller place, so I already know Hosey (Adam Hose) and have had some good battles against him over the years.
“Usama has been my teammate before, and Brett D’Oliveira and I have crossed paths before when we played against each other.
“It is really nice to be able to share the changing room with these guys and make New Road my home.”
With over 100 wickets and 3000 runs to his name for Zimbabwe in T20 cricket, Raza’s impressive CV speaks for itself.
But even at the tender age of 40, the off-spinner-come-middle-order batter has plenty to offer, least of all in the dressing room, where his wealth of experience could prove crucial in Worcestershire’s hunt for Blast success.
Having played in some of the world’s biggest franchise tournaments, including the IPL, PSL and CPL, Raza is keen to give back to the Rapids squad in a bid to help bring silverware back to New Road.
“Before I take anything, I want to be able to give back and try add off the park to this group as much as I can with my experience and knowledge.
“I want to learn the culture and enhance my game, learn what works at New Road, but because it is not about one guy succeeding, it is about all of us succeeding together.
“I am a huge believer in whatever the team requires of me to win the competition and matches, I am open to doing. If that looks like me bowling in the powerplay, take the new ball, bowl at the death, bat at four, five, six or seven – whatever is needed, I am here to do.
“This is about the team coming together, and me, and I just want to play here now.
“I have always wanted to play here, and hopefully the fans embrace me!”
The Opposition
Captain: David Willey
Last Season: Semi-final
Titles: Two (2013 and 2016)
One to Watch: Chris Lynn
A side known for punching above their weight, the Steelbacks arrive at New Road having made their way to Edgbaston during last year’s Finals Day, denied a place in the showpiece event after a dramatic loss to Hampshire Hawks in the semi-final.
Chris Lynn, joining the Steelbacks ahead of the 2026 competition for a third time, is a man Northants will be glad to have on their side after he was the man to dump them out of last year’s semi-final having blitzed a stunning unbeaten century.
With Australian counterpart Darren Lehman in charge, the Wantage Road outfit will b hoping to continue their recent romance with the Vitality Blast T20, having reached the knockout stages in the last two years.
The side that won six of their opening seven games last year will remember their trip to New Road fondly, on a night where Ben Sanderson starred with career-best figures of 6-8 that included a hat-trick.
Squad vs Northants Steelbacks
