Worcestershire Seconds overcame their Durham counterparts by 69 runs in a Second Eleven Trophy clash at Brandon CC.
The game was put back 24 hours so the players could attend the Thanksgiving Service for Academy director Damian D'Oliveira who passed away last month.
Worcestershire totalled 227 all out with Alex Hepburn scoring a half century and then Nick Harrison picked up three wickets as Durham were dismissed for 158.
Worcestershire won the toss and batted and got through the first power-play without losing wickets with the score on 41.
But the end of the power-play brought bowling changes and the first change bowlers picked up three wickets in the next six overs for 18 runs.
Skipper Gareth Andrew and Hepburn first of all steadied the innings and went onto construct a 59 run partnership for the fourtth wicket.
After Andrew had been caught for 35, Hepburn was part of a second 50 run partnership with keeper Alex Milton for the fifth wicket during which Hepburn scored his own half century from 66 balls and including eight fours.
Hepburn was eventually stumped in the 43rd over for 59 and was the first of two wickets in two balls for Durham’s Max Morley.
But Harrison managed to survive the hat-trick ball. Harrison and with Darrell Williams put on a swift 26 from 25 deliveries for the eighth wicket during which Williams brought up the 200 for Worcestershire with the only six of the innings.
Graeme Cessford made a valuable 13 runs at number 10 but ran out of partners and overs as the last Worcestershire wicket fell from the last ball of their 50 overs.
The Durham innings got off to a bad start when Andrew took a magnificent slip catch, diving to his right from the bowling of Graeme Whiles to put the home side on 4-1 in the second over.
This was the start of an excellent fielding and catching display from Worcestershire with all but one of their wickets being catches.
By the end of the first power-play, Durham were on a similar total to Worcestershire but had already lost three wickets compared to the visitors none and this pattern continued through their innings.
They were always up with the run rate but Worcestershire kept taking wickets which prevented partnerships from building.
Keeper Alex Milton took three catches and Andrew held a second diving slip catch this time from the bowling of Cessford to dismiss the number 10 batsman.
The final Durham wicket was a caught and bowled by George Rhodes in the 34th over as Durham ended up on 158.
Harrison took 3-19 from six overs despite conceding seven wides and there were two wickets apiece for Whiles, Cessford and leg-spinner Darrell Williams.
The two sides will start a Second Eleven Championship match at the same venue tomorrow (Wednesday).
Worcestershire: Pardoe c Morley b Chase 24, Rhodes lbw Carr 17, MacVicar c Clark b McCarthy 12, Andrew c Bousefield b Buckley 35, Hepburn st Poynter b Morley 59, Milton c Clark b Morley 22, Williams b Bousefield 28, Russell b Morley 0, Harrison c Clark b Bousefeld 9, Cessford not out 13, Whiles st Poynter b Bousefield 1. Extras 7, Total 227 all out (50 overs).
Bowling: Chase 1-40, Bousefield 3-51, Carr 1-20, McCarthy 1-17, Buckley 1-49, Morley 3-49.
FOW: 41, 51, 59, 118, 168, 185, 185, 211, 214, 227.
Durham: G. Clark c Rhodes b Whiles 22, J. Clark c Andrew b Whiles 0, Carr c Milton b Cessford 4, Singh b Harrison 24, Poynter c Milton b Harrison 13, Thompson c Milton b Harrison 2, McCarthy c Rhodes b Williams 11, Buckley c Russell b Williams 4, Bousefield c and b Rhodes 48, Morley c Andrew b Cessford 5, Chase not out 1. Extras 24. Total 158 all out (33.2 overs).
Bowling: Russell 4-0-30-0, Whiles 7-2-24-2, Cessford 7-1-29-2, Harrison 6-3-19-3, MacVicar 3-0-15-0, Williams 4-0-16-2, Rhodes 2.2-0-23-1.
FOW: 4, 34, 38, 72, 76, 87, 98, 112, 138, 158.
