[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

One-Day Cup, Group A

vs Derbyshire

Racecourse Ground, Derby

Derby innings: Worcestershire won the toss and put the Derbyshire in to bat to open August's cricketing account on a humid Friday. The hosts started well, racking up 57 for no loss off the ten-over powerplay, before young Jack Home made the necessary breakthrough after fourteen overs at 82-1. Tom Hinley then picked up where he left off in the last match, chipping in a couple of crucial wickets including a fine diving return catch to remove Brooke Guest for 20, while Ethan Brookes would produce the timely LBW that dismissed Harry Came for 71 and Fateh Singh have Sam Conners stumped for a duck, but the rest of the innings belonged to Home, who not only produced his greatest career figures to date, but kicked on from his maiden five-fer to finish with 6-51 off just 7.4 overs, the best individual List A figures for a Pears bowler since Shoaib Akhtar's 6-16 against Gloucestershire on 4th September 2005. All out for 260 with two balls to spare, the job was half done.

Worcs innings: Though Ed Pollock came and went for just 11, and Rob Jones managed only a similar cameo of 17, there was no real doubt about the outcome from the first moment Gareth Roderick put bat to ball. Supported by an unbeaten 71 from the ever-reliable Jake Libby, the lengthy onslaught from Rodders - which surpassed his previous best of 137, and earned him his maiden List A 150 en route to 152 not out - was arguably only inferior to that 137 against Gloucestershire this time last summer for the pitch and the overall match situation being more favourable. In all other respects it was a classy, imperious knock that carried Worcestershire to a well-deserved third victory on the bounce.

Worcestershire WIN by eight wickets

The Verdict: With almost an entire first team missing to injury, and a bowling attack whose average age is 20.8 (and propped up by Minor Counties signings), scarcely anyone would have given the Pears a prayer in this campaign, but somehow the lads have put the Blast disaster behind them and are doing something quite special in a competition that's increasingly a fan and player favourite. Long way to go, and defeat at Northants on Sunday ended up injecting a bit of reality into proceedings, but good things are happening at New Road at exactly the time they're needed.