[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

vs Durham

T20 Blast, Northern Group

New Road, Worcester

After limping to yet another miserable defeat at Wantage Road on Thursday night, the onus was on Worcestershire to come up with the goods on their return to home soil.

Durham innings: Pears won the toss and put Durham in to bat on a sunny Sunday afternoon with only brief showers threatening.  A wicket went within seven balls as Josh Tongue caught Cameron Steel off a delivery from John Hastings, but any hope of a sea-change in the fortunes of the Worcestershire bowling attack were ground slowly and painfully into dust after that. The only other Durham wicket to fall in the entire innings came courtesy of Dolly, who was by a country mile the most impressive bowler on the pitch all match. With a Collingwood century on the board Durham posted 201-2 off the twenty, and it was going to take Something Very Special for the Pears to win.

Worcs innings: There's nothing quite like watching Joe Clarke when he pulls off Something Very Special. The young England hopeful carried his bat through the twenty overs, surpassing Collingwood's efforts for the visitors to make it to 124 not out as Worcestershire cruised home with eleven balls to spare. If it had been Jos Buttler at work you'd be hearing about it for weeks to come, but things tend to pass pretty unnoticed at New Road. Still, this was a special performance, and though it may have only papered over the gaping cracks of a bowling attack not fit for purpose in this format, it was a much-needed ray of light in a dire campaign.

Worcestershire WIN by eight wickets

Star Performer: And the Lord said "on the seventh day, let there be 124 runs off 53 balls with twelve fours and eight sixes", and lo, there was Joe Clarke.

Next Match: The Pears bowlers have five days to get their ever-loving shit together before Worcestershire visit Edgbaston on Friday night for the final derby of the season.