Worcestershire Royals bounced back from their defeat on Friday evening with a 14 run victory over the Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Northampton.

Worcestershire won the toss and chose to bat first and, with the score on 14, they lost Vikram Solanki in the 2nd over when he was bowled by Oliver Stone for 8. Moeen Ali was the second wicket to fall when he was caught by Alex Wakely at extra-cover off James Middlebrook for 14, with the score on 33 in the 8th over, but then Phil Hughes and James Cameron took control as they put on 101 for the third wicket, with Cameron the first to get to his 50 off 31 balls and Hughes reaching his 50 off 47 balls.

The Royals were on 134-2 in the 19th over when Cameron, going for a big hit off Chaminda Vaas, was caught by Cameron White at long-off for 57, his highest score in t20 cricket, off 38 balls, with 4 fours and 2 sixes, and then Hughes, next ball, was caught by Stone at third-man off Vaas for 52 off 50 balls, with 3 fours and 1 six. Captain Daryl Mitchell went for 1 as he hit a Stone delivery, in the final over, straight to Rob Keogh at deep square-leg and the two not out batsmen were Gareth Andrew (6*) and Alexei Kervezee (1*) as the Royals completed their 20 overs on 142-5.

The Steelbacks reply saw the early departure of Vaas for 9, in the fourth over, when he was bowled by David Lucas and then their captain Alex Wakely was dismissed for 1, as he hit an Andrew delivery to Kervezee at deep midwicket, with the score on 28 in the sixth over.

Mitchell took the next two wickets as Kyle Coetzer was caught by Ali at long-on for 33 and Rob White chipped straight to Kervezee at midwicket for 4 to leave the Steelbacks on 71-4 in the 14th over. Middlebrook also went for 4, when he was caught by Cameron at long-on off Jack Shantry, with the score on 99 in the 17th over, and despite an unbeaten 62 off 42 balls from Cameron White, with 1 four and 4 sixes, the home side were always behind the required run-rate for most of the innings as they finished on 128-5 off their 20 overs.

The Royals bowling figures saw Mitchell taking 2-29 off 4 overs, Shantry took 1-24 off 4 overs, Andrew had figures of 1-28 off 4 overs, Lucas finished with 1-31 off 4 overs and Ali was economical with 0-14 off his 4 overs.