[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

vs Surrey

One-Day Cup, Semi-Final

New Road, Worcester

A scorching hot midsummer's day at New Road is the setting for Worcestershire's first semi-final since 2004.  Given the form of the respective sides going into this one, let alone the gulf in general quality of players, it's difficult to see anything but a Surrey victory.  But nevertheless, there's a lot at stake - not least pride - and here's hoping that the Pears can put on a show and make a game of it.

Surrey innings: Surrey won the toss and elected to bat in the 32C heat.  A nightmare of a powerplay saw both teams live up to their form going into this match: Surrey smashing everything in sight to the boundary, Worcestershire bowling poorly and making some very sloppy mistakes in the field.  However, in the middle overs the home side regained a little of the confidence they showed in the group stage, with the spinners Moeen, Mitchell and Dolly reining Surrey in and taking the key wickets of Mark Stoneman, Jason Roy and Rory Burns respectively.  John Hastings was expensive on his first game back, but succeeded in dismissing Sangakkara in a crucial contribution to the cause.  Nevertheless, on a flat dead wicket with a quick outfield, Surrey managed to step on the accelerator at the death and post a final total of 363-7.  In some ways a moral victory for the Pears, as it looked early doors like the visitors would pile on an unassailable 400+, but still this chase will be the second-biggest in the domestic game (after Nottingham's record-breaker last night) if we make it.  If we want to get to Lord's, we'll have to earn it.  Surrey the favourites, Worcestershire with nothing to lose.

Worcs innings: Ugh.  Absolute suicide from the top-order set the tone for what was to come. In a chase with shades of their defeat at Old Trafford in the group stage, Worcestershire proved utterly unable to get a partnership of any kind together, while Surrey claimed soft wickets regularly to peg the home side back.  The only real positives were an aggressive early showing from Moeen and half-centuries further down the order from Dolly and Ross Whiteley, dragging the Pears above 200 to make the final result a little less humiliating.  Still, it was an emphatic win for the visitors nevertheless, bowling us out for 210, and yet another hard lesson in knockout cricket for a Worcestershire team struggling to put Kohler-Cadmore's departure behind them and regain their feet as the defeats come thick and fast.

Worcestershire LOSE by a hundred and fifty-three runs

Star Performer: There was some excellent stuff with both the ball and the bat from Dolly, but it was power hitter Ross Whiteley who top-scored in a pretty woeful Worcestershire innings, making 55 and giving the Pears a bit of hope (perhaps false) for the coming T20 campaign.

Next Match: The Pears somehow have to dust themselves down and find a way to regain some form in the County Championship as promotion rivals Kent visit New Road on Monday.