Worcestershire Rapids began their preparations in earnest for the Vitality Blast with many of their players featuring in the Second Eleven T20 double header with Leicestershire who also fielded the bulk of their Foxes squad at the Fischer County Ground.
The Rapids were making the transformation from the Royal London One-Day Cup and Specsavers County Championship action which has dominated the opening phase of the season.
Interim Championship captain, Brett D’Oliveira, scored a rapid half century in Game Two with several other Rapids players spending time in the middle or practicing their bowling skills before Thursday’s Blast opener against Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.
In Game One, Worcestershire were put in and totalled 135-8 in their 20 overs with Tom Fell scoring 34 in the opener’s role before he was caught at long on.
Former Yorkshire batsman Ryan Gibson, who has been impressing in the Second Eleven Championship side, top-scored with an unbeaten 49 from 32 balls with seven boundaries.
When Leicestershire batted, Ben Twohig bowled four tidy overs for 20 runs and picked up the one wicket to fall as Cameron Delport (35) holed out to long off.
Neil Dexter’s unbeaten half century helped Leicestershire to victory in the 18th over.
In Game Two, Leicestershire were invited to bat and Dillon Pennington accounted for Tom Wells (53) who picked out backward square leg.
The catch was taken by former Northamptonshire player Mohammad Azharullah who bowled in both matches for Worcestershire along with fellow paceman Andy Carter who has been on trial with the Seconds.
George Rhodes heled onto a fizzing drive at extra cover by Ateeq Javid (30) off Carter who also trapped Mohammad Nabi lbw for 47 out of Leicestershire’s 166-5.
Martin Guptill – with four fours in his 16 – Rhodes (23) and Daryl Mitchell, caught at deep cover for 25, made useful runs.
But it was D’Oliveira who made the most significant contribution with 57 off 32 balls – including four boundaries in one over – before he was caught at backward square leg as Worcestershire closed on 154-7.
—
GAME ONE
WORCESTERSHIRE SECONDS
Westbury b Parkinson 8
Fell c Abbas b Delport 34
Milton st Hill b Parkinson 8
Rhodes c Evans b Dexter 6
Dell lbw Delport 5
Gibson not out 49
Twohig c Hill b Mike 11
Grey b Abbas 11
Carter run out 1
Extras 2
Total (for 8 wickets) 135 in 20 overs
FOW: 11, 21, 43, 60, 70 101, 122, 135
—
BOWLING
Abbas 4-0-23-1
Parkinson 3-0-26-2
Mike 2-0-22-1
Ali 2-0-13-0
Wells 2-0-10-0
Dexter 4-0-19-1
Delport 3-0-22-2
—
LEICESTERSHIRE SECONDS
Delport v Grey b Twohig 35
Dexter not out 54
Ackermann not out 43
Extras 6
Total (for 1 wicket) 138 in 17.1 overs
FOW: 76
—
BOWLING
Carter 2-0-22-0
Brown 3.1-o-24-0
Grey 1-0-9-0
Twohig 4-0-20-1
Azharullah 3-0-17-0
Rhodes 4-0-43-0
—
GAME TWO
LEICESTERSHIRE SECONDS
Wells c Azharullah b Pennington 53
Cosgrove lbw Azharullah 0
Raine c Rhodes b Morris 17
Nabi lbw Carter 47
Javid c Rhodes b Carter 30
Chappell not out 4
Swindells not out 6
Extras 10 (Total for 5 wickets) 166
FOW: 8, 43, 114, 128, 160
—
BOWLING
Pennington 4-0-32-1
Azharullah 3-1-25-1
Carter 4-0-34-2
Morris 2-0-14-1
Mitchell 3-0-21-0
D’Oliveira 2-0-16-0
Rhodes 2-0-21-0
WORCESTERSHIRE SECONDS
Guptill lbw Raine 16
Clarke b Nabi 8
Rhodes lbw Dickinson 23
Mitchell c Raine b Jones 25
D’Oliveira c Ahmed b Raine 57
Whiteley c Nabi b Javid 1
Milton st Swindells b Nabi 4
Pennington not out 6
Morris not out 6
Extras 8
Total (for 7 wickets) 154
FOW: 16, 26, 75, 85, 118, 134, 42
—
BOWLING
Raine 4-0-34-2
Nabi 4-0-27-2
Griffiths 3-0-33-0
Jones 2-0-12-1
Ahmed 3-0-17-0
Dickinson 2-0-14-1
Javid 1-0-4-1
Wells 1-0-10-1
