[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

One-Day Cup, Group A

vs Kent

New Road, Worcester

Kent innings: The Pears won the toss and put Kent in to bat on a Sunday with plenty of cloud cover as the week-long heatwave broke. On a hybrid pitch, opener Ollie Robinson (not that one, the other one) departed for just 13 in the sixth over when caught at cover off Charlie Morris, and just three overs later, Heino Kuhn - the scourge of Worcestershire in the last meeting between the sides - was run out by a direct hit for 19. Promising young left-armer Josh Baker, successor to the departed Ben Twohig, then claimed his first List A wicket with an arm ball that slid on to a foxed Tawanda Muyeye and removed the Zimbabwean's middle stump for 22, reducing the visitors to 65-3. However, George Munsey and Harry Finch stuck together in a partnership that lasted the better part of thirty overs, seeing both batsmen to a half-century and the Spitfires to a threatening platform. In the end, Adam Finch struck the latter plumb on the pad on 84, treating the scorecard to the novelty of Finch LBW b Finch; after completing an excellent century, Munsey then departed in the same fashion to Ed Barnard to leave Kent 255-5, and though the tail managed to score the requisite ten an over for the loss of just two more wickets to reach a competitive 322-7, at the interval it felt that the Pears had done just enough to stay in the game.

Worcs innings: Opener Josh Dell went the same way as his Kent counterpart Robinson, caught at cover for 20, but otherwise the first half of the innings was deceptively straightforward, with only one further wicket falling - that of half-centurion Tom Fell, caught behind for 57 - as the hosts eased to a comfortable 166-2 that was, quite literally, too good to be true. The collapse began with Jake Libby caught low at backward point for 17, followed by a needless top-edge from Jack Haynes, caught at deep square leg for 77, once again guilty of doing all the hard work only to throw his wicket away. Consecutive overs then saw off the increasingly hapless Gareth Roderick for 5 and debutant Jacques Banton for 1, taking the Pears from 166-2 to 184-6 with just sixteen overs to score 139. As Ed Barnard looked a little out of nick and anchored things at a run a ball, it fell to skipper Joe Leach to do the dirty work that followed. As Kent persisted in bowling straight at the big man, one thunderous legside blow after another was carted over the boundary en route to a 37-ball fifty; nevertheless, the required rate was still north of ten an over with five remaining when Leach tonked three consecutive Marcus O'Riordan deliveries down the ground for a six-four-six streak. Another couple of maximums off Grant Stewart brought the asking rate down under a run a ball with two overs left, when the inevitable spanner flew into the works. Having set a new record seventh-wicket List A partnership for the county, and brought the chase within one hit of a win, Leach was dismissed LBW for 88 by Matt Milnes, bringing young Baker to the crease, suddenly on strike with four needed off the last over. The left-arm whiz-kid threw the kitchen sink at a bouncer first up, it caught the top-edge... and flew high over the keeper's head to wrap things up.

Worcestershire WIN by three wickets

The Verdict: The first meeting of these sides since the thrilling encounter in the 2018 semi-final of the same competition, and it was another day to remember with a happier ending for Worcestershire this time around. At a time when the Hundred is demanding the attention and the loyalty of fans, county cricket - even shorn of some of its top talent - continues to demonstrate why loyalty must always be earned.