[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

vs Durham

One-Day Cup, Northern Group

New Road, Worcester

Drawing to the conclusion of the group campaign now, and in Worcester today we've got a match that will go a long way to defining the final standings of the group.  Durham are an imperious side who've matched Worcestershire's results in the competition so far, and are two points behind the Pears only because of their points deduction.  They need to win this in order to have their fate in their own hands going into final day.  For the Pears there's a little more leeway, but the pressure will be on if they lose.  A win, of course, will guarantee progression and a minimum second-place finish.  All to play for.

Worcs innings: Durham won the toss and put the Pears in to bat on a bright and sunny day after heavy rain overnight.  A good opening partnership between Moeen and Pepsi in the first ten overs, scoring 34 and 48 respectively, set things up nicely for Worcestershire; however, while things kept ticking over on the scoreboard with a few half-decent knocks, Durham took wickets regularly to break up the succeeding partnerships and it required a good patient innings from Dolly - easily his best of the season so far in any format - to hold things together and push the Pears up to something approaching a competitive score.  He finished on 73 not out, Worcestershire on 270-8 off the fifty, which may be roughly a par score on a slow wicket.  However, we know Durham can bat, and this isn't a total which will pile pressure on them or force them to take risks.  I suspect we'll need to skittle them if we're to defend it.

Durham innings: Well, who'd have thought it?  Knowing they needn't take any unnecessary risks chasing 270 at a little over five runs an over, Durham's chase seemed like a walk in the park as Graham Clark and Keaton Jennings racked up an opening partnership of 122 over the first twenty-four overs. Even when Jennings got a bit careless and nicked one to Tom Kohler-Cadmore off a Moeen delivery, the men from the north-east were still well on course and looking likely to win at a canter. But while Clark stayed at the crease to grab himself a ton, successive partners came and went trying desperately to accelerate the run-rate, and slowly blew it for their side in the process. Not a single batsman from the Durham middle-order made it into double figures as the Pears spinners piled on the pressure with dot-balls and regular wickets, and when Clark himself holed out to Ed Barnard with fifty-five still needed off thirty-six balls and only three wickets remaining, the game was up. There was time for Hastings and Shantry to reduce Durham to their last wicket, but time ran out for the team in third place.

Even more astonishingly, the Bears did us an immense favour at Edgbaston with a five-wicket victory over Yorkshire. The result of all this? Worcestershire now top the group and are mathematically assured of both qualification and a home tie in the next round. A win at Derby on Tuesday would allow the Pears to retain top spot irrespective of what Yorkshire do, and make it a semi-final to look forward to next. But whatever happens, this has been a brilliant campaign over the last four weeks from a young, unfancied team.

Worcestershire WIN by fifteen runs

Star Performer: Honourable mentions for both Daryl Mitchell and John Hastings, picking up three wickets apiece during that cagey run-chase. But with his best batting performance of the season so far on a sticky wicket with boundaries at a premium, and following it up with yet another effective bout of spin bowling (1-41 off his ten overs), for the second time this week it has to be Dolly who gets the nod. This time it was in a winning cause, too. Hope he can keep this form returning to the Championship next weekend.

Next Match: Bidding farewell to New Road for the coming month, we commence a tour of England at Derby on Tuesday with the title of group champions ours to lose.