[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

One-Day Cup, Group A

vs Gloucestershire

County Ground, Bristol

Worcs innings: Gloucestershire won the toss and put the Pears in to bat on a damp Tuesday morning threatening plenty of rain. After a positive start, Brett D'Oliveira was caught at backward point for 14 off Josh Shaw, which proved the beginning of a regular fall of wickets. Tom Fell made just 13 before being caught behind off left-arm spinner Tom Smith, and though he completed another assured half-century, Jack Haynes holed out on the pull to deep square leg on 59, at the beginning of a fourteen-over spell without a single boundary. Graeme van Buuren then got two in two balls with Jake Libby caught and bowled for 33 and Ed Barnard LBW for a golden duck, reducing the Pears to 134-5; the sixth-wicket partnership repaired some of the damage, but on the verge of a rain break Gareth Roderick was bowled by a Shaw delivery that nipped back, leaving Worcestershire on a precarious 194-6 during the subsequent delay. Upon resumption, only one run was added before Josh Dell was caught at extra cover for a run-a-ball 32, and it fell to young Josh Baker and big Joe Leach to strike a few lusty blows as fresh rainclouds gathered, in aid of lifting Worcs up to a vaguely defendable 228-7 when the weather brought a premature end to the innings with three deliveries remaining.

Gloucs innings: Messrs Duckworth, Lewis and Stern are seldom kind to teams who bat first and weigh in light on runs and heavy on wickets; sure enough, when play resumed at half past five, Gloucestershire were chasing a target of 115 off fourteen overs, which should have been fairly straightforward. But with the hosts looking to kill things off quickly, Leach was able to take two early scalps in his first over, having Ben Charlesworth caught at short third man for 1 and new man Tom Lace caught at cover for a duck. Gloucs kept up with the run-rate, but the further wicket of Chris Dent - caught behind for 25 off the bowling of Adam Finch - did their DLS calculation no favours when the rain returned before six o'clock with the score 46-3. The resumption at quarter-past pushed the asking rate above nine, with the revised target 48 off 31 balls; still an eminently feasible chase with seven wickets in hand, and sure enough, twenty-five runs off the first thirteen deliveries gave Gloucestershire the momentum. But after Leach bowled a tight line and length to push the equation up to 22 off the last two overs, Baker was entrusted with the penultimate over, and delivered a magnificent showing under pressure with four singles conceded and Jack Taylor caught at backward point for 11. Leach then returned for the climax in a welcome flood of evening sunshine, and the hosts never looked capable of getting close to the 18 still required off him, ensuring that the Pears once again crossed the line against the odds.

Worcestershire WIN by eleven runs (D/L)

The Verdict: The One-Day Cup continues to enthral as an alternative to the Hundred, and following Worcestershire's disappointing exit from the T20 Blast, back to back wins are a great way to get the ball rolling. Worryingly, it's the bowlers carrying the team right now with both bat and ball - Josh Baker in particular is making a bit of a name for himself - and something will have to be done about the top and middle order if the Pears are to present a threat in the competition in the long run. But points on the board are points on the board.