Worcestershire Rapids spinner Fateh Singh said his side’s one-wicket defeat to close rivals Birmingham Bears felt “gutting”, after he nearly inspired a famous comeback win.
Defending just 134, the Rapids took the game to the wire, in a Vitality T20 Blast game that will be remembered as a low-scoring classic that could have gone either way.
On the backfoot from the outset in the field, the Rapids had Singh (3-18) to thank, as he inspired a mid-innings revival, with the away side taking four wickets for 15 runs in a chaotic three-over period.
As the game edged towards a thrilling climax, the Rapids headed into the final over of the contest defending three runs, which ultimately proved too big a task, as the Bears snatched a nail-biting one-wicket win.
Singh, said getting that close on such a big occasion was a tough one to take.
“To come that close, on such a big night with such a big atmosphere – its not great being on the wrong side of it. This is my first Bears and Pears derby and I felt the atmosphere that came with it makes it an even harder one to take being on the losing side.
“The way both teams started should have set the tone, both teams were 30-odd for nought after three overs, so for neither team to kick on and get over 140 is remarkable really.
“I think, being brutally honest, we could have batted a bit better and scored a few more runs.”
After getting off to a fast start, the Rapids powerplay problems continued, as they lost three wickets inside the first six-overs of the match, hindering their chances of posting an imposing total.
On reflection however, Singh, says the top-order batters were right to continue their positive approach, and on another day things could have played out very differently.
“T20 is very much a hindsight game, and we can sit here and say we should have gone a little less hard, or should have done this, but on another day we could have got 200 out there doing our thing.”
“They (Isaac and Kashif Ali) both played really strong shots, they attacked the ball and looked to hit the ball over the infield and to the boundary. Isaac flourishes playing his way and it is great to see a 17-year-old doing that.”
After a tough run with injury and selection at the start of the season, Singh has announced himself across the Blast as a vital cog in the Worcestershire wheel, becoming a staple in the side throughout the eight group matches played up until Friday.
Whether playing as a lone spinner, as he did against the Bears, or bowling in tandem with Tom Hinley, Singh has become a reliable figure during the middle overs of matches, where his consistent lines have made him hard to get away.
With an economy rate just over seven, the spinner says he is reaping the rewards of his move from Nottinghamshire, that was made permanent during November last year.
“I have felt part of it all season, early on I didn’t have the best of luck, I got concussion two days out before the first Champo game, but it has been so nice to be back in the frame and in the picture.
“That is the reason why I made the move – to play regular cricket. So it feels really good to play every game.”
Time is of the essence for Singh and his side moving forward, as they now prepare for a crucial County Championship clash with Surrey, on Sunday, before travelling to Southampton the following week, to face Hampshire.
