WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids suffered a fourth straight defeat in the T20 Vitality Blast on Friday as rivals Birmingham Bears won by 21 runs in front of a full house at New Road. 

Late runs from Bears' Dan Mousley (49 from 28) and Jacob Bethell (32 from 13) proved decisive as the visitors posted a challenging 196/5, despite the best efforts of Rapids' Usama Mir, who recorded impressive figures of 3-22.

Brett D'Oliveira scored a half-century and Mir also contributed late runs but it was a case of too little, too late for Worcestershire as they came up considerably short to slip to a fourth straight defeat in the T20 Blast. 

The Bears were put into bat and openers Alex Davies and Rob Yates posted a 50 stand in 5.1 overs.

It was Pat Brown who made the first breakthrough when Davies slashed hard to Hose before Mir came into the attack and struck in his first over when Yates came down the wicket and was stumped by Ben Cox.

There was more joy for the Pakistan international when Glenn Maxwell (9) was taken at long-on by Santner.

Chris Benjamin and Dan Mousley added 51 in 6.2 overs before the former was run out attempting a second run after turning Brett D’Oliveira to deep-square leg.

Former Worcestershire all-rounder Ed Barnard got off the mark with a boundary first ball but on seven tried to sweep Mir in his final over and was lbw.

Some late hitting from Bethell and Mousley produced 51 runs from 3.1 overs to lift the final total to 196-5.

Ed Pollock was restored to the top of the order after Bracewell’s injury and off drove the first delivery from Hasan Ali for four.

But the left hander was pouched at mid off in the second over from Maxwell and Jack Haynes was strangled down the legside off Henry Brookes as the hosts slipped to 11-2.

D’Oliveira got the scoreboard moving with a scoop and cover-drive for successive boundaries at Brookes' expense and back-to-back fours from the Rapids skipper brought up the 50 in 5.2 overs.

Worcester News: Adam Hose and Brett D'Oliveira put on a 78-run stand but it was not enough for the RapidsAdam Hose and Brett D'Oliveira put on a 78-run stand but it was not enough for the Rapids (Image: Worcestershire CCC)

Hose came in and continued his run of good form and he helped D’Oliveira add 78 in 8.1 overs to give them hope they could complete the chase.

But Barnard came into the attack and struck against his old team as Hose (36) fell to his second ball via a pull to deep mid-wicket at 89-3 in the 11th over.

Santner drilled Danny Briggs over the long off boundary but the Bears spinners bowled straight and tight.

D’Oliveira completed an excellent half-century from 37 balls with one six and five fours but was stumped off Jake Lintott without adding to his score.

Mir ended with a flourish with a trio of maximums but it was not enough and the Bears held on to triumph and lift the Norman Gifford Trophy.