A disappointing display from Ed Wilson’s side, combined with an authoritative Falcons showing with the bat, saw the Worcestershire Women’s Rapids compounded to their second Vitality T20 Blast defeat in succession.
Emerging from the power play at 37-1, Sophia Mitchell top-scored with 21 as the homeside set Derbyshire 110 to win, on what was another frustrating showing with the bat.
Jess Beach and Caitlin Baker-Smith combined with the ball to leave the visitors at a perilous 6-2 inside their second over, as Meg Bishop chipped in to leave the Falcons at 33-3 after their opening six.
A classy showing from Lauren Kenvyn and Rebecca Duckworth turned the tide for the away side, however, as the pair dealt with everything Worcestershire tried in order to remove them, as Derbyshire ran out 7-wicket victors on another disappointing day at New Road.
Having lost the toss and been inserted into bat first, Worcestershire were dealt an early blow, as newcomer Elicia Pollard (0) was bowled on her third ball at the crease, with Bryony Gillgrass having blocked out the first over.
Sophie Beech joined Gillgrass in the middle, aiming to get the Rapids firing in the power play, as the pair batted with patience whilst pouncing on the bad ball to find the rope.
An elegant reverse-sweep from Beech and a powerful hook over mid-on from Gillgrass signalled the England U19 duo were in the groove, leaving the powerplay looking to make headway at 37-1.
The second wicket stand came unstuck the very next ball, however, as Beech (18) was caught looking to go big towards the Diglis End.
Gillgrass was then dismissed for 15 the following over, having been trapped LBW by Falcons captain Adrianna Darlow.
Responsibility therefore fell on Sophia Mitchell and Ebony-Jade Tweats to stabilise the homeside’s innings, as the latter calmly snuck a reverse-sweep down the offside for four, pushing the Rapids past 50 runs.
The pair navigated the middle overs professionally, with Mitchell dispatching back-to-back boundaries at the start of the 10th over, in which 13 was added to the Rapids’ total.
Looking to be ever positive, Tweats was unlucky to fall in the 13th over, as Ria Fackrell took a smart catch as the Worcestershire batter looked to drive through the covers.
Rapids captain Clare Boycott replaced Tweats and struck consecutive boundaries to end the over, however the promising Mitchell (21) was caught and bowled two overs later.
At 86-5, the Rapids were in need of quick-fire runs to push the hosts north of 100 and on towards a competitive total.
However, the wickets of Meg Bishop, Caitlin Baker-Smith and Amy Maund falling for a combined six runs in the latter stages dented the homeside hopes, as the Rapids finished their 20 overs 109/9, with Jess Beach (6) and Charlotte Roberts (1) unbeaten.
Ed Wilson’s side couldn’t have asked for a better start with the ball, courtesy of a devastating in-swinging Beach delivery clattering Natasha Allen’s off-stump, removing her on the fifth delivery of the innings.
Caitlin Baker-Smith then struck the very next over, sending Fackrell (1) packing, as Worcestershire’s opening bowling pair dislodged Derbyshire’s top two for a combined six runs.
Kenvyn and Lonsdale set about pushing the visitors on from their perilous position at 6-2, however Meg Bishop claimed the latter’s scalp with her first ball, having been introduced to the attack.
The Falcons batter, who was dismissed for 11, feathered at a delivery going across her pads, as Sophie Beech was able to hang on behind.
Emerging from the power play at 34-3, the Rapids’ tails were up, as they endeavoured to continue their fine wicket-taking form.
Fresh into the attack, Boycott thought she had removed Duckworth, courtesy of a Beech stumping. The Yorkshire loanee was judged to have made it safely home just in time however.
At the halfway point in their innings, Falcons remained shy of the required rate; however, with Duckworth and Kenvyn having worked their way into the match well, the pair moved ahead of the required rate in the 14th over.
As Worcestershire struggled to make inroads into the visitors’ fourth wicket stand, the pair shifted through the gears to bring up the 50 partnership.
Opportunities did present themselves to the hosts; Gillgrass couldn’t quite hold on as the impressive Duckworth thundered a ball back towards the Rapids all-rounder, now into the attack.
Kenvyn was then lucky to survive, as Sophie Beech lost sight of the ball off a thick Kenvyn top edge that steepled into the sky.
Having ridden their luck on occasions, Duckworth and Kenvyn regained their composure to continue to dominate with the bat, as Duckworth hit three consecutive boundaries in the 17th over to bring up her half-century, before cementing a convincing seven-wicket victory for the Falcons.
