Friday, August 18th, 2017

Rapids Taste Defeat In Finale To T20 Blast Campaign

Worcestershire Rapids ended their Natwest T20 Blast North Group campaign on a losing note as Derbyshire Outlaws triumphed by 48 runs at the 3aaa County Ground.

The Rapids bowlers and fielders performed well in restricting the Falcons to 146-8 in their 20 overs after being put into bat by Rapids skipper Joe Leach with Wayne Madsen top-scoring with 55 off 42 balls with four fours and one six.

It was a disciplined bowling performance by the Rapids with young paceman George Scrimshaw confirming his potential with some probing deliveries as he returned 1-22 from his four overs.

Brett D’Oliveira was his usual economical self in finishing with 2-19 as was fellow spinner Mitchell Santner (2-28) in the final game of his current spell with the club.

But the Rapids top order batting line-up floundered in losing four wickets in the powerplay and another immediately afterwards.

It left the Rapids with no foundations to launch a challenge to their modest target and they were dismissed for a disappointing 98 in 15.4 overs.

The Rapids were without injured batsman Daryl Mitchell (hamstring) and George Rhodes returned to the side while Scrimshaw replaced Josh Tongue of the side which faced Lancashire Lightning on Wednesday.

Scrimshaw took the new ball and struck in his second in bowling Billy Godleman (3).

Luis Reece (2) was stumped by Ben Cox off Santner and then the New Zealander held onto a catch at long on to account for Matt Critchley (23) off Pat Brown.

Madsen and Callum Brodrick (12) added 34 before the latter went for a reverse sweep and was caught by Alex Hepburn off Santner at 65-4 in the ninth over.

D’Oliveira got in on the wicket-taking act when Alex Hughes (6) holed out to George Rhodes at deep square leg.

The 100 came up in the 15th over but then Daryn Smit (9) gave D’Oliveira the charge and Cox made his second stumping of the evening.

Madsen hit Hepburn for six over long on as his half century came off 35 balls.

Former Worcestershire paceman Matt Henry was dropped at long on when on six off Scrimshaw.

Two wickets went down in the final over from Pat Brown with Madsen and Henry (15) both run out.

When the Rapids launched their reply, Leach was bowled for nought to the second ball from Madsen after stepping back to cut.

Joe Clarke looked in good nick and collected two boundaries in an over from Madsen and another two in the next over from Ben Cotton.

But after making 23 out of 26, he was caught at point off Cotton.

D’Oliveira (6) was bowled by Hardus Viljoen and in the same over Cox was lbw for two.

It became 39-5 when Santner (8) played onto the first ball from Imran Tahir.

Ross Whiteley and Alex Hepburn added 41 but then the last five wickets went down for 18 runs.

Whiteley drilled a series of superb cover drives to the boundary but after making 28 he holed out to long on off Tahir.

Hepburn (10) was caught behind off Henry, Ed Barnard (7) was bowled behind his legs by Tahir and Brown (0) was lbw to the same bowler who finished with 4-17 in four overs.

The game ended when George Rhodes (9) fell at extra cover off Cotton.