Clydesdale Bank 40: Worcestershire’s 5-wicket win over Unicorns
A clinical bowling performance, well complimented by a remarkable batting performance bagged bottom placed Worcestershire a five wicket victory against Unicorn in a Group A Clydesdale Bank 40 clash at County Ground, New Road, Worcester on Sunday. Unicorn’s respectable yet gettable total of 181 for 9 was easily chased by the hosts with 12 balls to spare and five wickets still intact.
Unicorns wicketkeeper batsman Josh Knappett blazed away with the bat to lift the visitors to a respectable score but on the day when most of Unicorn’s batsmen were off colour, his lone knock of 91 runs was not enough to stop Worcestershire’s from winning the match. Amongst the rest, only two batsmen, Sean Park and Neil Hancock, managed to get past the 20 run mark but both the players succumbed for scores below 30 while all others fell for single-digit scores.
Josh Knappett’s 100-ball 91 contained 10 muscular boundaries across the turf. Hancock compiled 29 runs from 34 balls looting two lofty sixes while Sean Park logged 21 runs off 34 deliveries plundering two boundaries. Jack Shantry and Gareth Andrew claimed three wickets each while Chris Russel, Shakib Al http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hasan-c61990 and Shaaiq Choudhry took one wicket apiece.
In reply, the hosts were taken home in 35 overs with the loss of just five wickets. Moeen Ali was the top scorer with 40 runs off just 26 balls followed by Vikram Solanki who scored 39 runs from 62 balls.
Morning rain forced the 40 overs match to be reduced to a maximum of 37 overs a side. After winning the toss, Worcestershire’s skipper Daryl Mitchell put the visitors in to bat, favouring his bowlers on a damp wicket in dull and gloomy conditions. Unicorns batting line up, after being put into bat, failed to face the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Josh-Knappett-c1737 confident knock.
Jack Shantry sent Jackson Thompson back to the pavilion on the second ball of the day, having the batsman caught by http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Russell-c87177 to Vikram Solanki. Murtagh’s share in the 20-run stand was just two runs off 16 balls.
After Murtagh’s dismissal, skipper Keith http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Cox-c51633 off Gareth Andrew. Parson’s dismissal took Sean Park to the crease and in partnership with fluent Knappett; the pair shared a half-century stand to drag the side towards a competitive score, easing the nerves of the side. That became 88 for 4 when Park mistimed Shakib Al Hassan to Mitchell.
Fluent Knappett shared another fifty-run stand with Hancock taking the side to 138 for 4. Hancock was the fifth man to lose his wicket in the 31st over with 138 on the board. Knappett exploded sensationally as wickets clattered at the other end to set a respectable total of 181 for 9 from the allotted 37 overs.
Worcestershire’s run chase went off to a steady start. A half-century opening stand between Moeen Ali and Vikram Solanki put the hosts on their way to a five wicket win. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mills-c76321 and Glen Querl picked one wicket each.
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