Worcestershire Academy (Under-18s) enjoyed a double success at Barnt Green including their first win in the ECB Under-18 County T20 Group Two competition.
They overcame Cricket Wales in a friendly by seven wickets and then defeated Somerset by 36 runs in the ECB tournament.
Against Somerset, a half century from Rehaan Edavalath and an excellent spell with the ball by Ismail Mohammed helped the Academy to victory.
Edavalath came in at number four and struck 53 off 35 balls with three sixes and two fours.
He put on 75 for the third wicket in 8.2 overs with wicket-keeper batter, Henry Cullen, whose 38 off 29 deliveries included two sixes and one four.
Opener Oli Cox had given the Academy innings a positive start with 32 off 17 balls and there were useful contributions from Ollie Walker (16) and Reeve Evitts (19).
Despite losing five wickets for 12 runs after reaching 170-3, the Academy were still able to post a challenging 182-8 after electing to bat.
Somerset looked to have laid the foundations for a push for victory after their openers put on 96 in 11.2 overs.
But Academy skipper, Joe Stanley, broke the stand, and then the spin of Ismail Mohammed earned him two wickets.
He finished with 2-19 from four overs and Stanley 1-26 from four as Somerset, despite their promising start, finished well short of their target on 146-3.
In the friendly against Cricket Wales, the visitors won the toss but were kept in check in reaching 129-4 in 20 overs.
There were a series of tight bowling performances and one wicket apiece for Cameron Jones (4-0-23-1), Walker (4-0-23-1), Mohammed (4-0-26-1) and Evitts (4-0-33-1) while Stanley bowled four overs for 23 runs.
Mohammed bowled tightly at the ‘death’ and he conceded only six runs in each of the 16th, 18th and 20thovers.
Cox again gave the Academy innings a flying start and this time he raced to 50 off 22 balls with four sixes and five fours before first out with the total on 68 to the last ball of the six over powerplay.
Walker (34) gave him good support and then Oliver Halion (24 not out) and Mohammed (16 not out from nine balls) sealed the win in 14.5 overs with an unbroken stand of 33 in three overs.
