Worcestershire Rapids turned the Vitality Blast North Group table upside-down by defeating leaders Birmingham Bears by 55 runs in a rain-reduced 17-overs-per-side match at Edgbaston. This emphatic win keeps the Rapids’ hopes for qualification alive while leaving the Bears with more work to secure a home quarter-final.

Dynamic batting display by Matthew Waite

Worcestershire Rapids piled up an impressive 187 for 6, thanks to stellar performances at both the start and end of their innings. Kashif Ali kickstarted the innings with a sparkling 46 from 30 balls, including an audacious six over mid-wicket off George Garton. He formed a crucial 56-run partnership with Josh Cobb before nicking a wide long hop from Moeen Ali to the wicketkeeper.

The middle-order saw a few quick wickets, but the acceleration came from Nathan Smith, who smashed 33 off 16 balls in a 52-run stand with Brookes (30 not out from 19). The climax of the innings was delivered by Matthew Waite, who hammered 34 runs in the final over, including sixes off every ball from Garton, finishing with a blistering 36 not out from just eight balls.

MATTHEW WAITE HAS TAKEN 34 RUNS FROM THE FINAL OVER 😱 pic.twitter.com/LiGxLjCXyn

— Vitality Blast (@VitalityBlast) July 12, 2024

Bears’ struggle against focused Rapids’ attack

The Bears’ reply never recovered after losing both openers for ducks, closing on 132 all out from 15.2 overs. Tom Taylor struck early, bowling Alex Davies with a searing inswinger and having Rob Yates spoon a return catch to Cobb. Waite further dented the Bears’ innings by bowling Moeen Ali and dismissing Sam Hain, who chopped onto his stumps, leaving the Bears at 18 for 3.

Dan Mousley showed resilience, scoring 68 off 44 balls, but lacked significant support. Chris Benjamin’s brief counter-attack (21 off eight balls) ended with a catch on the long-off rope by Taylor. With 56 runs needed from the last two overs, the Bears’ lower order faltered, and Waite capped off his outstanding performance by taking two wickets in successive balls to end the game.

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Back-to-back wins have revived Worcestershire Rapids’ campaign, while the Birmingham Bears, despite their strong position, face a challenging road ahead to secure a home quarter-final after this defeat, their third in eleven games.