Worcestershire Rapids warmed up for their opening NatWest T20 Blast match with Birmingham Bears on Friday by defeating Shropshire by 36 runs in a high-scoring match at Bridgnorth tonight.
Skipper Daryl Mitchell won the match of the award for his unbeaten 94 from just 61 balls with three sixes and 10 fours.
But there were also excellent contributions with the bat from Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Richard Oliver for Worcestershire while Ed Barnard gave another demonstration of his potential playing for Shropshire.
Barnard, Jack Shantry, Joe Leach and Joe Clarke all turned out for their former county Shropshire but ex captain Oliver played for the Rapids.
Oliver hit a typically aggressive 48 off 26 balls with two sixes and five fours after Mitchell had won the toss and elected to bat in front of a healthy sized crowd.
He shared in an opening stand of 81 in nine overs with Mitchell but the real fireworks came when Kohler-Cadmore came to the wicket.
He hammered 80 off just 33 deliveries with seven sixes and three fours during a second wicket stand of 149 in 11 overs with Mitchell.
Kohler-Cadmore was finally dismissed in the 20th over to leave Mitchell six short of a deserved century as Worcestershire reached 236-2.
The Shropshire batsmen also enjoyed themselves after the dismissal of Clarke (3) and Leach (18).
Barnard and Ross Aucott added 77 off seven overs for the third wicket before the latter was bowled by Brett D'Oliveira immediately after reaching his half century.
Barnard smote seven sixes and two fours in his 31 ball 64 but his dismissal, fourth out at 162 when bowled by Charlie Morris, ended Shropshire's faint victory hopes and they closed on 200-6.
There were two wickets for spinner Sachithra Senanayake and one apiece for Morris, Shaaiq Choudhry, Ross Whiteley and D'Oliveira.
Worcestershire innings
Oliver c J Clarke b Randhawa 48
Mitchell not out 94
Kohler-Cadmore b Sanderson 80
Gidman not out 1
Extras 13
Total (for 2 wickets) 236 in 20 overs
FOW: 81, 230
Bowling
Shantry 4-0-43-0
Leach 4-0-42-0
Barnard 3-0-45-0
Sanderson 4-0-41-1
Randhawa 4-0-35-1
Ralph 1-0-22-0
Shropshire innings
J Clarke b Whiteley 3
Aucott b D'Oliveira 51
Leach c Kohler-Cadmore b Choudhry 18
Barnard b Morris 64
Gregory not out 37
Ralph st Cox b Senanayake 1
R Clarke st Cox b Senanayake 3
Shantry not out 20
Extras 3
Total (for 6 wickets) 200 in 20 overs
FOW: 10, 52, 129, 162, 165, 179
Bowling
Choudhry 4-0-31-1
Morris 4-1-30-1
Whiteley 3-0-39-1
Senanayake 4-0-30-2
Mitchell 1-0-24-0
D'Oliveira 3-0-34-1
Gidman 1-0-12-0
