Wednesday afternoon saw Worcestershire Rapids finalise their Vitality Blast T20 preparations at New Road in an enterprising T20 double header.
Using the 2nd XI Central Group fixture’s against the Steelbacks as preparation for Friday’s competition curtain raiser, Alan Richardson split his playing squad across two competitive matches, as the Rapid’s geared up for the trip to Leicestershire Foxes.
Match One: Worcestershire won the toss and elected to field
Taking to the field first in overcast and blustery conditions, it was Jack Home who picked up the first wicket of the contest when the paceman skittled Nathan McSweeney in the third over of the innings.
Adam Finch returned in the final over of the powerplay to take the wicket of Louis Kimber, who had looked dangerous for his 24 from just 11 balls, but the skipper had laid the platform for the Steelbacks, who were 71-2 after the first six overs.
With Ben Allison and Harry Darley unable to find a breakthrough and pace on suiting the batting side, skipper Brett D’Oliveira introduced himself into the attack from the New Road end, before overseas star Usama Mir was thrown the ball as the Rapids searched for a foothold.
Mir (0-33) stemmed the flow, with the man returning for his third stint with the Club, conceding just two runs from his first over.
Reaching the halfway stage 109-2, the Rapids continued their search of a third wicket, with big-hitter Calvin Harrison reaching 50 from just 29 balls in the 12th over when Darley returned, bowling to a legside heavy field and changing his tactic with the short ball ploy.
This brought half a chance when Harrison top-edged into the deep, but Allison at deep midwicket was unable to make up enough ground to take a tough chance at full stretch.
D’Oliveira continued to rotate his seamers as Harrison marched on, taking a lead role at the crease, before he and Justin Broad (46 off 32) eventually perished within three balls of one another.
Darley (2-26) first had Broad caught behind when he feathered an edge through to keeper Henry Cullen, attempting a ramp shot, before Rehaan Edavalath took a composed catch at deep extra cover to end Harrison’s onslaught for 81.
The rate slowed as the innings reached its climax, with Finch (2-33) trapping Miller LBW for 16 in the penultimate over, before Allison (0-27) finished his four-over spell by bowling the last as the Steelbacks were restricted to 195-5.
The home side’s response was led by Isaac Mohammed, who blitzed 21 off his first 12 balls, despite the loss of D’Oliveira, who was caught without scoring.
Henry Cullen joined the 17-year-old as the young pair looked to continue their impressive early-season form.
Isaac was unable to add to his tally, as Rob Jones joined Cullen when the young opener was caught in the deep at 29-2.
Jones started with positive intent, scoring three boundaries early in his cameo, but the loss of Cullen for 10 shortly before the end of the powerplay.
The loss of regular wickets continued to hamper the Rapids as Jones (17 off 15) fell trying to clear long-on, before youngster Seth Essenhigh was unfortunately run out for just two.
75-5 at the halfway stage, Edavalath continued his anchor role, as Jack Home showed his batting acumen by clearing the ropes three times in as many balls to take the Rapids past 100 in the 13th over.
He made a quickfire 32 from just 15 balls before his cameo was ended when he edged behind off George Scrimshaw, as Usama Mir made his way to the middle.
Edavalath (23) was caught and bowled as the Steelbacks looked to turn the screw, followed by Mir for a breezy 15 two overs later, whilst some lusty late blows from Allison (27 from 12) were not enough as Worcestershire fell to a 28-run defeat.
Match Two: Northants won the toss and elected to bat
A much-changed Rapids side were asked to bowl first in the second match of the day, with Ben Allison making the perfect start for his side by dismissing Chris Lynn with the final ball of the first over, courtesy of a superb catch from Jake Libby.
New signing Sikandar Raza entered the fray for the Rapids early on in the piece but could not prevent the Steelbacks from getting off to another fast start.
Calvin Harrson followed up his impressive first display of the day with a quick-fire 34 before Harry Darley ended his innings in the ninth over.
A third wicket of the innings followed in the next over as George Bartlett was removed three runs short of his fifty, when Haddow (1-28) took his scalp.
Louis Kimber and Lewis McManus came together to add 62 for the fourth wicket as the Rapids struggled to find openings during the middle overs, before Jack Home removed Kimber and Raza dismissed half-centurion as the Steelbacks were 173-5 in the 18th over.
Matthew Waite returned late on to claim his first wicket of the contest, as the Rapids were set 195 to win the second fixture of the day.
An opening stand of 49 between Isaac Mohammed and Jake Libby set the Rapids off to an ideal start, with Libby playing a lead role in his 33-ball cameo of 23, before he was caught and bowled on the penultimate ball of the powerplay.
Isaac (13) departed soon after, before Gareth Roderick made seven, as the Rapids stumbled at 62-3 after eight overs, before a stunning 76-run partnership between Adam Hose and Sikandar Raza rocketed the Rapids back into the contest.
Hose showed his class with a destructive display that saw him nail a 24-ball-50, including two sixes that were deposited out of the ground.
Raza played a supporting role, making a patient 14, before the duo lost their wickets within the space of four balls of one another, as Hose’s dismissal for 59 saw the Rapids stutter.
At 140-5, requiring 55 to win from the remaining 27 balls, the light was fading at New Road, as Henry Cullen and Matthew Waite looked to reignite the Rapids’ innings.
Cullen hit the first ball of the 18th over for a maximum over long-off, with the equation meaning the Rapids required 34 from the final two overs.
Striking four fours and a six off the first five balls of the over, Cullen pinched two off the last ball to make it 10 to win off the final over of a thrilling game.
Cullen looked to clear the rope, but an outstanding one-handed Calvin Harrison catch at long-on ended his impressive 16-ball-37, as the Rapids fell two runs short of victory.
