Worcestershire Academy were beaten off the final ball of a 50 over contest with Staffordshire Second X1 who won by two wickets at Millford Hall.
The Academy opted to bat and totalled 241-5 in their 50 overs. Openers Jujhar Johal and Will Wade (29 off 65 balls) put on a solid 80 spanning 25 overs.
Josh Dell joined Johal and accelerated the scoring rate in making 42 off 38 deliveries during a second wicket stand of 61 in 11 overs.
Johal went onto make 84 off 132 balls with 10 fours before he was third out at 179 in the 43rd over.
Xavier Clarke, with 37 off 36 deliveries, and Callum Lea’s unbeaten 39 off 26 balls with three sixes ensured a competitive total for the Academy via a partnership of 54 in seven overs.
The visitors made early inroads in picking up three wickets for 51 runs.
But J. Barnes and J. Davies kept Staffordshire in contention via a fifth wicket stand of 88 before the latter was out for 59 off 50 balls with four sixes with the total on 200 in the 43rd over.
The game could have gone either way and Barnes was run out off the penultimate ball after making 72 from 111 balls with the scores level.
But Staffordshire managed to squeeze out the one run required to get over the finishing line.
Alex Simpson and George McCormick both picked up two wickets and there were tidy spells from George Marshall, Josh Dickenson and Johal at around the four runs an over mark.
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Worcestershire Academy
J Johal b M Goodwin 84
W Wade lbw b A Raza 29
J Dell* b A Pursell 42
X Clarke st R Coates b A Raza 37
C Lea not out 39
A Simpson b A Raza 1
M Ahmed not out 6
Extras 3
Total (for 5 wickets) 241 in 50 overs
FOW: 80, 141, 179, 233, 235
Bowling
M Goodwin 10-0-34-1
D Richardson 8-1-38-0
J Davies 8-0-54-0
A Pursell 10-0-44-1
A Raza 10-1-47-3
R Williams 4-0-22-0
Staffordshire 2nd Xl
S Winnington b A Simpson 5
S Moores c J Dell b J Dickenson 29
R Coates+ c M Ahmed b G McCormick 9
J Barnes run out (X Clarke) 72
D Richardson c J Dickenson b J Johal 29
J Davies c A Simpson b G Marshall 59
R Williams c M Ahmed b A Simpson 4
M Goodwin* c A Simpson b G McCormick 13
F Doorbar not out 1
A Pursell not out 1
Extras 20
Total (for 8 wickets) 242 in 50 overs
FOW: 10, 36, 51, 112, 200, 208, 240, 241
Bowling
A Simpson 9-2-35-2
G Marshall 10-1-47-1
J Dickenson 10-0-45-1
G McCormick 6-0-30-2
M Ahmed 9-0-59-0
J Johal 6-0-24-1
