A weather affected day at Uptonsteel Grace Road ended in dramatic style, as Worcestershire Women’s Rapids progressed to the next round of the Vitality County Cup having won via bowl off against Leicestershire Foxes.
The Rapids were invited to bat first, as play eventually got underway at a revised time of 16:00 with sides playing a reduced 16 over aside contest; a clinical Foxes bowling attack then ensued, limiting the Rapids to just 72-8 at the end of their innings.
Leicestershire managed just three balls of their innings before rain put a halt on proceedings, and with time running out in the day, the match was abandoned, with a rare bowl-off to decide who would progress.
Jess Beach struck once before Caitlin Baker-Smith hit the stumps twice, as Worcestershire came out 3-2 victors in what was a topsy-turvy day in Leicestershire.
After a delayed start due to poor weather, Rapids opening batters Maisie Wright and Sanya Khurana headed for the middle, as the away side lost the toss and were asked to bat first.
Early trouble ensued for Ed Wilson’s side as Wright (0) was dismissed in the second over, attempting to chip over deep mid-on.
Things then went from bad to worse for the visitors, losing their next three wickets in as many overs, as Khurana (4), Liv Gough (1) and Gwen Davies (7) fell in quick succession, leaving the away side teetering at 16-4.
Debutant Sophia Mitchell came in and looked assured at the crease, hooking a Whitfield delivery past square leg for her first Rapids boundary.
With Meg Bishop for company, the pair set about attempting to rebuild the Worcestershire innings, unfortunately coming undone however in the eight over, as confusion led to Mitchell being run out and departing for eight.
Bishop was now joined by captain Clare Boycott, as they had plenty of work to do if the Rapids harboured any hope of County Cup progression.
Their partnership pushed Ed Wilson’s side past the 50-run mark; however, the pair were separated as Meg Bishop (25) was caught by Whitfield attempting to accelerate the Rapids total.
Boycott (10) and Caitlin Baker-Smith (1) both lost their wicket in the 15th over, as Jess Beach and Emily Churms saw out the 16th and final over to leave the Rapids 72-8, in what was an underwhelming showing from Worcestershire with the bat.
As the Foxes’ opening pair headed for the middle in preparation of the chase ahead, dark clouds and thunder proceeded the return of the rain, seeing just three Jess Beach deliveries possible before play was suspended.
With the cut off time honing into view, the rain showed no signs of relenting, with the match abandoned and to be settled via a bowl-off.
With nerves rife, the teams headed for the Mike Turner Indoor School, where each team’s five elected bowlers would each have two attempts to bowl at an unguarded wicket. The side who achieved the most wickets would progress.
Having again won the toss and chosen to bowl first, Ellie Phillips missed both attempts at the stumps for the home side.
Jess Beach replied for the visitors, claiming one wicket to nudge the Rapids into a slender lead.
As tension continued to rise, Worcestershire remained one to the good after the Foxes third bowler missed her attempts.
This then became three to the good, as youngster Caitlin Baker-Smith displayed nerves of steel, arrowing two perfect deliveries onto the stumps and swinging momentum firmly in the travelling side’s favour.
However, the Foxes, who had bowled superbly earlier in the contest, were not to give up without a fight.
Emma Thatcher recorded sucessive hits for Leicestershire to ramp up the pressure once more.
Sanya Khurana then missed her two attempts for the Rapids, meaning the home side needed just one hit from their last two deliveries to tie up the contest.
Caitlin Chissell stepped up for the Foxes but to no avail, as her two missed attempts ensured the Rapids claimed an incredible victory and see them into the third round of the T20 County Cup, where a meeting with Tier 1 side Surrey awaits.
