[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

One-Day Cup, Group B

vs Essex

New Road, Worcester

Essex innings: The Pears won the toss and put Essex in to bat on a bright Thursday morning in mid-August. A reasonably economic start yielded a breakthrough when Ben Gibbon tempted Josh Rymell into a checked drive which sent an edge flying high to first slip. Four balls later, Dillon Pennington took the prize scalp of in-form Tom Westley, LBW for a golden duck, and the visitors were suddenly 40-2. After a brief rebuild with a decent run-rate, Josh Tongue marked his return from a fourteen-month injury lay-off when both set batsmen - Grant Roelofsen on 31 and Feroze Khushi on 43 - were caught behind down the leg-side off his bowling. Nick Browne's attempt at a quick single to point resulted in a direct hit from Ed Barnard, leaving Essex 135-5, and though another acceleration followed from Luc Benkenstein and Robin Das, the latter holed out to Barnard for 63 to prompt a late clatter of wickets. Gibbon saw off Aron Nijjar with a top edge, and Benkenstein went in the same fashion, caught and bowled by Pennington, who proceeded to bowl Jamal Richards with his very next delivery. Shane Snater lifted the total up to a respectable 279-9, but on a good batting pitch it felt like a lightweight score.

Worcs innings: He hasn't had the best of competitions, but Ed Pollock showed a glimpse of his best form in getting the Pears off to a flyer in the chase, before he was bowled by Jamal Richards for 34. But Taylor Cornall, who'd played second fiddle in the opening partnership, took up the mantle and continued to impress with his intelligent shots, especially straight drives back past the bowler, as he raced to a 59-ball fifty. Gareth Roderick showed strong support, reaching his maiden List A half-century in Worcs colours, but his fondness for a reverse sweep proved his downfall when the stroke had him caught at point for 76. The runs ticked over nicely for Cornall en route to what would have been his first professional century, but on 97 he was dismissed LBW by Benkenstein, falling agonisingly short of the milestone. Nevertheless, there were no great alarms for Ed Barnard and Jake Libby as they knocked off the 57 runs required to establish that rarest of things: a Worcestershire winning streak.

Worcestershire WIN by seven wickets

The Verdict: Again, a certain sense of frustration that this run of form has come too late to make a difference to the competition for us, but as the saying goes, better late than never. Taylor Cornall is showing signs of being a real find, and the return of Josh Tongue is reason to be cheerful any day of the week. If we can continue the streak against Glamorgan in Tuesday, it may just have the positive effect on our Championship run-in that we desperately need.