Worcestershire Rapids all-rounder Matthew Waite expressed his pride as his side hit back after a whirlwind 48 hours to defeat defending Vitality Blast T20 champions Somerset at New Road.
A challenging weekend saw the Rapids lose to near neighbours Warwickshire Bears on Friday, before Adam Hose was instated as Vitality Blast T20 Captain for the remainder of the tournament on the eve of the clash with the Taunton-based outfit.
However, a composed and cohesive performance on Sunday saw Worcestershire hit back in superb fashion, putting the reigning champions to the sword in a memorable 36-run victory.
It was Sikandar Raza and Brett D’Oliveira who played the most influential hands with the bat, with Worcestershire’s Club Captain standing tall under pressure to produce a gem of a knock.
Finishing the day 41 not-out, two catches and a pivotal over under his belt, long-term teammate Waite shared his delight in D’Oliveira’s display.
“Obviously, being a used pitch, it’s had a couple of games on it, but I think 180 was a very good score.
“Sikandar and Dolly played really well, so they put us in a good position, and we are all really pleased for Dol.
“Obviously, he’s had a difficult week, and I am really proud of him today for what was a really good performance in the field, with the ball and with the bat.”
“He’s done a lot for this club, and he’s played for a lot of years and been very, very good.
“So, it’s nice that the crowd appreciate that, and it was lovely to see. With the bat, he took it deep, and obviously, he did quite a bit of damage in the last few overs, and as I said, I think it was a very good knock.”
In a topsy-turvy T20 campaign, the Rapids made a mixed start to the group stage during the first block of fixtures, winning three and losing three of their opening six matches.
In a similar vein, Worcestershire bounced back from defeat at Edgbaston on Friday with a much-improved performance at home to Somerset, making light work of the defence of 180.
Figures of 3-34 from Usama Mir triggered a middle-order collapse that drove the home side back into the match, before Waite followed up with another outstanding spell that put the game beyond any doubt.
Enjoying life with the ball in his hand, Waite said he made the most of conditions that suited him.
“How we reacted to Friday was great, and we did really well today.
“I think we got out of the power play really well. Tommy does a very good job in the power play, and I thought Benny bowled a really good first over.
“I think that pitch suits me because I don’t have as much pace as everybody else.
“I bowled a couple of slower balls, which worked, and it was nice to come away with those figures.
“Whenever you lose quick wickets in any format, you’re going to be under pressure, so it was good to capitalise on that.”
