Northants’ Ben Sanderson stole the show as he returned figures of 6-8 in a simply outstanding bowling display as Northants Steelbacks hurried to a 31-run win over Worcestershire Rapids in the Vitality Blast North Group.
With Northants setting the home side 191 to win, it was Fateh Singh (1-16) who returned the best figures amongst the hosts bowlers.
In reply, the Rapids struggled got a foothold in the game, with five batters making scores over 20, but regular wickets hampering their pursuit of a competitive score as nobody could quite kick-on.
Sanderson’s exceptional evening was capped off with a hat-trick as the Rapids fell to a first home defeat of the season.
Worcestershire Rapids returned to action at Visit Worcestershire New Road on Friday evening, looking for a repeat performance that saw them sweep aside Yorkshire last Sunday.
After a shower during the side’s respective warm-ups, damp and cloudy conditions greeted the Rapids as they were asked to field first having lost the toss.
Jacob Duffy got his side off to the perfect start, when Matthew Breetzke mistimed a hook shot and was caught smartly on the boundary by the ever-reliable Ethan Brookes in the first over.
The Rapids bowlers found chances hard to come by inside the powerplay however, as David Willey and Ricardo Vasconcelos settled into their work, aided by some uncharacteristic errors in the field from the home side.
Ethan Brookes’ felt the full force of Steelbacks skipper Willey’s batting prowess, as his first over went for 21, despite having him dropped off a tough catch at short-extra cover.
It didn’t take long for the eventual breakthrough however, as the partnership of 74 was ended when Tom Hinley bowled Willey, for 36.
Exactly one over later and it was fellow spinner Fateh Singh, who joined the wicket-taking action as he too forced a wicket by beating the defences of Justin Broad (1), bringing his side some valuable momentum as the halfway mark of the innings approached.
With pace off the ball seeming to slow the Steelbacks progress, Hinley and Singh bowled four-overs in tandem, conceding just 21 runs.
Singh, continued his impressive form with the ball, returning figures of 1-16 from his allotted four overs.
Vasconcelos, continued his charge for the away side, with Skipper Brett D’Oliveira using all weapons in his bowling armoury to try and force a breakthrough.
Shortly after watching a fourth-wicket partnership celebrate reaching 50, the Rapids had their opening when Vasconcelos’ onslaught was ended for 59, when Australian seamer Ben Dwarshuis, had him caught behind.
Duffy (2-27) made a timely return to the attack, as he picked up his second wicket of the evening, when he ended the dangerous cameo of Ravi Bopara for 36, as he was caught out on the boundary by Adam Hose.
With the score reading 147-5, the Rapids had fought valiantly to turn things around heading into the final few overs of the innings.
The away side fought valiantly, adding 43 runs in the final three overs, to ensure Worcestershire Rapids would require 191 to win.
Brett D’Oliveira failed to repeat his heroics against Yorkshire, as he was well-caught at deep backward square leg for five, as the chase got off to a far from ideal start.
Ed Pollock set about continuing his fine mid-week form onto the big stage but found himself with a new partner in the fourth over as Kashif Ali, miscued a pull shot and was caught behind for three.
After motoring his way to 22 off just 11 balls, Pollock was the next man out, as he nailed a shot straight to Zaib, on the leg-side boundary, who made no mistake with the catch.
Brookes, came in to join Adam Hose, as the pair exhibited their array of attacking shots as they added 34 for the fourth-wicket.
As the skies darkened and the required rate began to rise, something had to give, and when Brookes was caught at long-on for 15 in a valiant attempt to clear the rope, the Rapids were well and truly up against it.
Adam Hose held the key for the hosts, as he continued to accumulate boundaries with new partner Gareth Roderick – but when he held out for 27, the odds were stacked against the Rapids.
In a pattern that continued throughout the Rapids’ innings, the loss of regular wickets thwarted any chance of a well-constructed chase, and when Roderick was bowled by George Scrimshaw for 29, hopes continued to fade.
Ben Sanderson returned to finish a near perfect evening with a hat-trick, as Worcestershire fell to their first T20 home defeat of the season.
