Worcestershire Rapids ended their first block of Vitality Blast T20 group matches with defeat on Tuesday night, as table-toppers Northants Steelbacks ran out victors in an often cagey, rain-affected contest.
Gareth Roderick top-scored for the visitors with 47 from just 32 balls after a subdued start, before a lengthy rain delay reduced the match to 18-overs a side, as Sikandar Raza’s late blitz of 36 helped the Rapids up to 154-4 at the halfway stage.
Defending a revised 158, a brutal assault from Chris Lynn shot the Steelbacks out of the blocks the quicker of the two sides, before a superb mid-innings fightback led by spinners Sikandar Raza and Usama Mir reeled the hosts in.
Adam Finch took two wickets in the most profitable evening for the visiting bowling unit, but a late rally from David Willey handed Worcestershire a six-wicket defeat.
A midweek date with the Central and West group leaders was never going to be a straightforward assignment for the Rapids, and after losing a delayed toss at the Cinch County Ground, the visitors were put into bat on a blustery night in Northampton.
Announcing a changed eleven for the first time this tournament, Brett D’Oliveira confirmed that Henry Cullen and Ben Allison would be replacing the absent Matthew Waite and Isaac Mohammed.
In a re-jigged batting line-up, Kashif Ali made his way out to open with his skipper but could only manage a run-a-ball eight as the Rapids lost their first wicket in a maiden third over.
D’Oliveira pinged two early boundaries through the off-side as he looked to counterattack under gloomy skies, with him and Roderick taking their side to 35-1 at the end of a subdued powerplay.
Disciplined lines from the Steelbacks spinners offered the away side minimal scoring opportunities, but Roderick shifted through the gears with four boundaries, including a huge six over midwicket off the final ball of the ninth over as 20 runs came from the over.
When Worcestershire’s skipper followed up with a boundary off the final ball of the tenth, the Rapids duo began to open up with their side 77-1 at the halfway stage.
In a damaging 11th, however, the second-wicket stand that had produced 62 was brought to a premature end when D’Oliveira mistimed a pull shot and was caught for 22, and just two balls later Roderick followed suit for an impressive 32-ball-47.
Experienced pair Adam Hose and Sikdandar Raza came together, with the Rapids searching for some middle-order impetus after losing their two set batters and being forced to work for every run by a well-oiled Steelbacks outfit.
The visitors brought up their hundred midway through the 13th, but that was to be the final act for 50 minutes as rain swept in and the players took cover.
Having lost two overs a side, Raza picked up where he left off on Sunday, slamming a six and a four in successive balls at the start of the 16th, before Hose (11) held out at long on trying to up the ante.
Ethan Brookes latched onto a leg stump full-toss from his first delivery as the Rapids moved past 130 in the penultimate over of their adjusted innings, before a juicy waist-high no-ball was deposited for four by the all-rounder, who hit the preceding free hit for a maximum over Sanderson’s head.
Raza finished in style with another maximum over cow corner, as the away side propelled themselves to 154-4 at the completion of their 18 overs.
The home side rocketed out of the blocks, with Chris Lynn lashing 28 off the third over of the innings as Northants started the stronger.
It was Adam Finch who made the breakthrough for his side, however, when the seamer had Ricardo Vasconcelos caught by Ben Allison at mid-off to end the opening stand of 43.
The Rapids struggled to stop the hosts’ momentum; however, with new man Nathan McSweeney picking up where his opener left off, Allison changed ends to no avail.
With a reduced powerplay only lasing 5.2 overs, Brett D’Oliveira’s search for a crucial wicket was rewarded with the first ball of the fifth over, when the destructive Lynn skied a heave off a Finch delivery into the air, offering a steepling chance to Henry Cullen, which the youngster duly held onto.
72-2 at the conclusion of the powerplay, Usama Mir showed excellent control to concede just four off his first over, before fellow spinner Sikandar Raza made an impact with the first ball of his spell by having McSweeney caught behind for 26.
As has been the case so often for the Rapids this campaign, it was the middle overs where the screw was turned, as overs 6-11 returned combined figures of 2-24 without a boundary being scored.
Mir and Raza built the pressure as the required rate crept towards nine an over, but the big chance went begging when David Willey drilled one towards Adam Hose at long-off, but the Worcestershire man was unable to hold onto a tough chance low down to his right.
Willey hit the accelerator as the visitors were made to pay for the squandered chance, slashing 21 from a decisive 14th over that swung the odds back in favour of the Steelbacks late on.
Allison (1-32) bowled the Northants number four as the game reached its climax, but needing just 12 to win, the Rapids were unable to produce any late miracles as the visitors slipped to a six-wicket defeat.
