Sussex 190 all out
Worcestershire 194-2
Worcestershire win by eight wickets
Worcestershire Rapids are through to the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after completing a comprehensive eight-wicket success over Sussex Sharks at New Road.
The Rapids ensured a top three spot with a sixth win in eight group games after dismissing the Sharks in 45.5 overs and then hitting their 191 target in just 26.4 overs to give their net run-rate a big lift.
They maintained a grip with the ball after Dillon Pennington and Matthew Waite picked up a trio of scalps in the initial powerplay. Spinner Josh Baker’s three wickets took his tally to 15 in the competition.
Danial Ibrahim’s List A best score of 51 provided the most resistance but the Sharks’ total was well below par after they chose to bat.
Gareth Roderick and Azhar Ali then ensured there would be few alarms for the Rapids after laying the foundations during an opening stand of 82.
Azhar, 74, and Kashif Ali, with a 26-ball half century, then added a further 93 in 8.3 overs.
Worcestershire will have to wait until the conclusion of the group on Tuesday to learn where exactly they finish and whether they have a home or away tie to follow.
Worcestershire made two changes from the side which triumphed against Derbyshire at the Incora County Ground on Friday (18 August), with Azhar and Logan van Beek replacing Ed Pollock and Pat Brown.
Sussex handed debuts to a pair of 19-year-olds in batter Zak Lion-Cachet and off spinner Bertie Foreman.
Sharks captain Tom Haines opted to bat first. His side quickly ran into trouble on the same wicket where Worcestershire were reduced to 25-5 in the powerplay against Warwickshire last Sunday (13 August).
Waite made the first breakthrough when Harrison Ward was lbw to ball of full length which swung back into his pads.
Pennington shared the new ball and he struck in successive overs. Tom Alsop played down the wrong line to a ball which nipped away and was pouched at second slip by Baker.
The same combination then accounted for Haines after he drove at Pennington.
Sussex reached 42-3 by the end of the initial powerplay and James Coles and Liam Cachet led a partial recovery during a partnership of 42.
But Worcestershire captain Jake Libby broke the stand with a superb piece of fielding. Coles played Logan van Beek to mid wicket and set off for a single but he was run out by Libby’s direct hit at the non-striker’s end with only one stump to aim at.
