Worcestershire Rapids Head Coach Kevin Sharp hailed a “sensational innings” from Daryl Mitchell which helped secured a thrilling last ball win over visiting Lancashire in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Mitchell rescued the Rapids from 93-6 after completing a 117-ball ton. He received excellent support from Ed Barnard (28) and skipper Joe Leach (42 not out) as the Rapids reached 255-7.
Earlier an excellent spell from Brett D’Oliveira (10-0-28-2) had helped restrict Lancashire to 254-9 from 48 overs after they had been put into bat.
Sharp said: “It’s a fantastic win. It’s fair to say we did well with the ball and in the field. It look at one point as if Lancashire could make 300 on a good wicket.
“But we had a great spell in the middle where we took wickets and fielded brilliantly.
“When we lost six wickets in the first 18 overs, you wonder how you are going to get there and more often than not, you wouldn’t.
“Barny’s partnership with Mitch was excellent and then Joe has played a captain’s innings at the end and got us over the line.
“I was in tears just about at the end because you are hoping you can do these things but you think it is a long shot when you are six down from 18 overs.
“But that’s the beauty of the game. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you. We always haven’t had the rub of the green this season.
“Those of us who have been around long enough know it’s a wheel of fortune and it can turn for you and, having had a disappointing result at Durham on Friday after winning at Headingley, it’s a roller coaster ride.
“You sometimes aren’t sure what is going to happen next and, here we are, top of the table aren’t we?”
Sharp added: “Mitch is a guy who has been at this club a long time, he is a seasoned pro, he has come and batted in the middle order, he is used to opening the batting, and what a sensational, mature, fine executed innings that was.
“To take it deep and not panic and go right to the end, there’s a guy who has played cricket for many years and done a fantastic job for Worcestershire.
“When you’ve got someone like that with the experience to get you over the line, you are in a good position.
“Brett’s white ball skills have been prolific over the last two or three years. He varies his pace nicely, is good at bowling it into the pitch.
“With him being not as tall as some players, sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce as much and that’s harder for the batsmen to get underneath it and that certainly proved the case today.”
