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T20 Blast, Semi-Final

vs Lancashire

Edgbaston, Birmingham

Worcs innings: Lancashire won the toss and put the Pears in to bat on a fresh and bright autumn day in Birmingham. Though Joe Clarke was bowled for just 5 in the fourth over, it was a good powerplay for Worcs, and at 70-1 it looked like the underdogs had the upper hand. But there ain't no collapse like a Worcestershire collapse, and the departure of Moeen Ali to an ill-judged shot with more height than distance sparked an alarming domino effect with three wickets in three balls. Both Ross Whiteley and Daryl Mitchell came and went for a handful of runs shortly thereafter, and at 97-6 it looked as though the Pears would be finishing Finals Day early. But just as they did in the One-Day Cup semi, Ed Barnard and Ben Cox formed an unbroken partnership to take the innings deep and accelerate in the last couple of overs, with the latter making an excellent half-century after smashing the nineteenth over for 27. Worcestershire finished 169-6; a competitive score that had seemed impossible half an hour earlier.

Lancs innings: The powerplay was nip and tuck, with the run-out of Alex Davies the only wicket as Liam Livingstone looked to stamp his authority on the game. Ed Barnard finally removed him for a punishing 30, only to bring Jos Buttler to the crease. Still, taking pace off the ball, the Pears managed to get Lancashire on a leash, and when Moeen accounted for both Buttler and Arron Lilley, it left the Red Rose 89-4. Keaton Jennings became the danger man and at points threatened to carry Lancs home, but after the run-out of Dane Vilas while lazily backing up, Pat Brown demolished the middle and lower order to deprive Jennings of support, and by the twentieth over the game was already out of Lancashire's reach. For the Pears, who showed up to Finals Day more in hope than expectation, the hard-fought win was enough to carry them through to a first domestic final since 2004, and offer just the slightest glimmer of pulling off something even greater still...

Worcestershire WIN by twenty runs