Cricket

Leicestershire Foxes emerged victorious in a thrilling North Group encounter against Worcestershire Rapids in the Vitality Blast, securing their second win in four matches.The Foxes posted a competitive 176 for 8, recovering from a precarious 119 for 5 in the 16th over. Rishi Patel's 48 from 42 laid the foundation, while Ben Cox (29 off 21) and Ben Mike (24 off 11) provided crucial late impetus.Worcestershire's chase began promisingly, with Matthew Waite hitting 40 from 35. However, England's Rehan Ahmed's 2 for 27 and a vital catch halted their momentum. Scott Currie also chipped in with two wickets, while debutant Lewis Goldsworthy claimed one.Ethan Brookes' 37 off 16 balls threatened to turn the tide for the Rapids, but Ahmed's catch and Currie's dismissal of Brookes extinguished their hopes. Despite a no-ball in the final over, Worcestershire fell five runs short of their target.The Foxes' victory was built on a disciplined bowling performance, with Nathan Smith (3 for 39), Adam Finch (3 for 43), and D'Oliveira (2 for 24) sharing the wickets. Worcestershire's bowlers had earlier restricted Leicestershire, with Finch and D'Oliveira claiming three wickets each.

Northamptonshire Steelbacks emerged victorious in a thrilling Vitality Blast encounter against Worcestershire Rapids at Wantage Road, securing a narrow six-run victory. All-rounder Saif Zaib played a pivotal role for the Steelbacks, contributing with both bat and ball.Zaib's unbeaten 44 off 21 deliveries, laced with six fours and two sixes, propelled Northamptonshire to a competitive total of 169 for 4. He shared an unbeaten 79-run stand with Sikandar Raza (42*) in just six overs, rescuing the Steelbacks from a mini-collapse.Worcestershire's chase got off to a shaky start, with the visitors slumping to 120 for 8 in the 16th over. However, Gareth Roderick's extraordinary cameo of 39 off 22 balls (1x4, 3x6) almost turned the tide in their favor. Roderick's late surge brought Worcestershire within striking distance, but Raphy Weatherall's brilliant final over, conceding just four runs, sealed the victory for Northamptonshire.Earlier, Matthew Breetzke's back-to-back sixes off Shoaib Bashir in the second over set the tone for Northamptonshire's innings. Ricardo Vasconcelos also contributed with a brisk 28, but the Steelbacks lost three wickets in quick succession to stutter to 63 for 3.Zaib and Raza then combined to unleash a flurry of boundaries, with Zaib's power-hitting and Raza's clean drives proving too much for the Rapids bowlers. The duo's 79-run partnership helped Northamptonshire recover and post a challenging total.In the chase, Zaib struck early, removing Brett D'Oliveira in the third over. Worcestershire's top order struggled, with Ed Pollock and Ben Sanderson also falling cheaply. Ethan Brookes and Adam Hose steadied the ship, but their partnership was broken by Ravi Bopara's knuckleball.Hose posed a significant threat, hitting a four and six off Freddie Heldreich's first over, but Raza's brilliant diving catch off Zaib's bowling ended his innings. Zaib then bowled Tom Taylor and Heldreich picked up two wickets in the same over, leaving Worcestershire on the brink of defeat.However, Roderick's late heroics kept Worcestershire in the hunt, but Weatherall's composure in the final over ultimately secured the victory for Northamptonshire.

Worcestershire Rapids emerged victorious in their Vitality Blast encounter against Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge, securing a 20-run triumph. The Rapids' victory marked their second win in three North Group matches, while the Outlaws suffered their third consecutive defeat.After opting to bat first, the Rapids endured a shaky start, losing three wickets within the powerplay. However, a remarkable recovery led by Nathan Smith and Adam Hose propelled them to a respectable total of 154 for 8. Smith, the New Zealand seamer, smashed a career-best 51 not out from 35 deliveries, while Hose contributed 36 from 37 balls.The Outlaws' bowling attack was led by Ben Lister and Calvin Harrison, who claimed two and one wickets respectively. However, the Rapids' disciplined bowling and sharp fielding proved too much for the home side.Notts' batting lineup struggled to gain momentum, with Will Young's 25 being the highest individual score. Seamer Tom Taylor impressed for the Rapids, taking 2 for 23. The Outlaws' hopes were further dented by the early dismissals of Joe Clarke and Alex Hales.Despite a brief partnership between Matt Montgomery and Young, the Outlaws' chase faltered as they lost wickets in quick succession. James, Harrison, Moores, and Stone all fell short of expectations, leaving the Rapids to celebrate a well-deserved victory.

Yorkshire's star-studded batting lineup made light work of Worcestershire's meager total of 101, securing an emphatic eight-wicket victory at Headingley to kick off their Vitality Blast campaign with a bang.Left-arm spinner Dan Moriarty, making his Yorkshire T20 debut, played a pivotal role in the Vikings' triumph, claiming a career-best 4 for 25. His incisive bowling put the skids under the Rapids, who were bowled out for a paltry 101 in just 15.4 overs.Ethan Brookes, with a middle-order knock of 42 off 32 balls, was the only visiting batter to offer any resistance. However, Yorkshire's top five, featuring international stars Donavan Ferreira, Dawid Malan, Shan Masood, and Joe Root, proved too strong for the Rapids' bowling attack.Former England Test opener Adam Lyth led the charge with an unbeaten 55 off 33 balls, while Root remained not out on 13 as Yorkshire chased down the target in just 12 overs.Moriarty's impressive performance was a testament to his determination to make an impact at Yorkshire. After limited opportunities at Surrey last season, he has seized his chance with both hands, proving to be a valuable asset to the Vikings' bowling attack.Yorkshire's victory was a welcome boost after a disappointing start to their 2024 campaign in all cricket. The win, witnessed by a crowd of 8,231, will provide the team with much-needed confidence as they look to challenge for the Vitality Blast title.

Pakistan legspinner Usama Mir has been denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), preventing him from participating in the upcoming T20 Blast with Worcestershire Rapids. Mir was expected to be available for the entire tournament after being omitted from Pakistan's T20 World Cup squad.According to ESPNcricinfo, Mir's NOC application was rejected due to a clause in his three-year central contract with the PCB, which permits players to participate in only two franchise T20 leagues outside of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) per season. Mir had already played in the Hundred and the Big Bash League (BBL) during the current contractual cycle, which runs from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.Despite Mir's limited involvement in the BBL, he and Worcestershire believed there was a chance of an NOC being granted for the Blast. However, the PCB maintains that its "PSL +2" policy is non-negotiable.Mir was a standout performer for Worcestershire in the Blast last season, taking 19 wickets and scoring 132 runs. He has been replaced by West Indian legspinner Hayden Walsh, who was recommended by former Worcestershire player Jason Holder.Walsh expressed his excitement about joining Worcestershire, saying, "I am thrilled to join Worcestershire and be part of such a prestigious club. Both Jason and Alzarri [Joseph] have said a lot of good things about the club and the group of players, and I look forward to contributing to the team's success."Worcestershire CEO Ashley Giles praised Walsh's versatility and talent, saying, "Hayden is a versatile and talented cricketer whose skills will be a great asset to our squad."Worcestershire will begin their T20 Blast campaign against Yorkshire on Thursday night, with Mir's absence a significant blow to their hopes of success.