Worcestershire Rapids suffered more weather frustration in terms of their preparations for the NatWest T20 Blast as the two Second Eleven T20 matches with Unicorns at Knypersley today were called off without a ball being bowled.
Heavy morning rain left puddles on the outfield and, after an early lunch at 12.30, the umpires were left with no alternative but to abandon play for the day.
The county had included Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Alexei Kervezee, Ross Whiteley and Brett D'Oliveira in their squad – all regular members of the Rapids side which reached the T20 Blast quarter-finals last summer – plus Tom Fell, their leading scorer in the Royal London One-Day Cup in 2014.
The two games – plus the first team fixture with Shropshire at Bridgnorth tomorrow – were intended to enable players to hone their skills before the opening T20 Blast match of this campaign away to Birmingham Bears on Friday (5.30 start).
Yesterday's planned full-on T20 practice session at New Road also fell victim to the weather after persistent rain fell throughout most of the day.
Now Director of Cricket Steve Rhodes will hope for better weather at Bridgnorth when it is hoped 16 county players will be in action – including four turning out for Shropshire in Joe Clarke, Ed Barnard, Joe Leach and Jack Shantry.
The Seconds shared the spoils with Northamptomshire in their opening two T20 games at Milton Keynes last week, winning the first match and losing the second in what were both low-scoring contests.
They will next be in action in a three-day friendly with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham College from May 26 to 28.
