Derbyshire Falcons defeated injury-plagued Worcestershire Rapids five wickets to the final ball at Visit Worcestershire New Road, preserving their chances of advancing to the Vitality Blast knockout rounds. Pat Brown and Ross Whiteley, two former Worcestershire players who were instrumental in their team’s success, made a victorious comeback to New Road.
As Worcestershire was limited to 169 for 8, Brown concluded with figures of 4 for 23, bringing his total number of wickets in the league this summer to 21. Then, as the Falcons were losing ground on the run rate, Whiteley blasted an undefeated 41 off only 22 balls.
After Alex Thomson turned Tom Taylor for the game-winning run, the Falcons now need to win their final group game on Friday night against Durham while also hoping for favorable outcomes from other teams.
Ed Pollock, Worcestershire’s opener, scored his first half-century of the summer to set the team’s total.
Jack Home, an academy player, and 2nds keeper Henry Cullen made their Blast debuts for Worcestershire, which was without eight senior players due to injuries.
On a repurposed hybrid surface, Falcons skipper Samit Patel took Rapids to bat. Spinner Thomson gave Pollock two boundaries in an over, indicating that he was getting comfortable. However, Brown scored in his opening over when Brett D’Oliveira was caught at cover.
Josh Cobb was caught at backward square leg by the same bowler as he shrewdly guided Brown through the empty third man position and crashed the bowler right back past him to the boundary.
After going through a lean Blast, Pollock appeared in fantastic form and drove into the 30s for the first time this season with a straight drive off Mitch Wagstaff.
After effectively using the reverse sweep to capture two fours and a six at Patel’s cost, new batsman Gareth Roderick was caught and bowled by the same bowler.
In his debut season with the Rapids, Ethan Brookes amassed more than 300 Blast runs when, in the twelfth over, he defeated Thomson for four runs, taking the score to 100. Pollock reached his half-century with seven fours off 37 balls, while Brookes reached 30 off 19 balls before he was caught by Zak Chappell at deep midwicket.
Pollock attempted a knock off Chappell at deep midwicket, but Whiteley stopped him with his safe hands.
After returning for the last over of the season to dismiss Rob Jones, Brown ran out Tom Taylor at the non-striker’s end by deflecting a straight drive onto the stumps from Jake Libby, his 20th victim of the campaign. When Cullen was pouting at cover, Brown had a fourth victim.
Aneurin Donald gave Derbyshire the perfect start when he batted, smashing two fours and a huge six over backward square in Cobb’s opening over.
In the third over, Home entered the Worcestershire attack for the first time, and he quickly celebrated taking out Donald for 28 off just 12 balls, his maiden wicket.
After that, Harry Darley, another young player, dismissed Luis Reece at cover, helping Derbyshire achieve 50 for 2 on the powerplay. David Lloyd spotted Cullen at cover, but Madsen and Patel lofted a timid shot to long-off against D’Oliveira, allowing Darley to score again.
After hitting a solid 44 off of his bat, Madsen attempted to ramp Brookes and was bowled. However, Whiteley’s signature striking turned the tide in the Falcons’ favor.
Taylor’s last over still required fourteen runs, but he relieved some of the strain with consecutive boundaries from his first two deliveries.
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