WARWICKSHIRE again took home the bragging rights from the latest derby match with the Worcestershire Rapids, as they romped to a nine-wicket win at New Road in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
The Rapids had enjoyed a positive start to the competition with three wins from four, but Warwickshire brought them back down to earth with a comprehensive victory on Sunday to make it 3/3 against their rivals this season (T20 and one-day).
The hosts were skittled for a measly 108, with Matthew Waite providing almost half of the runs himself with a battling 44. The next highest score was 11 from Joe Leach.
Warwickshire's Oliver Hannon-Dalby took five wickets for just 31 runs and former Worcestershire man Ed Barnard pitched in with 3-14 as the visitors produced a brutal display with the ball.
Barnard then scored 65 from 44 balls - including ten 4s and one 6 - as Warwickshire reached their target inside just 17 overs, losing just one wicket.
Another sell-out crowd was in attendance at New Road to see if the Rapids could maintain their positive start, but it became quickly apparent that it was going to be a challenging afternoon of cricket.
😳 Our 𝗦𝗜𝗫𝗧𝗛 sold out fixture of 2023!
— Worcestershire Rapids (@WorcsCCC) August 13, 2023
1️⃣ Vitality Blast vs Leicestershire
2️⃣ Vitality Blast vs Northants
3️⃣ Vitality Blast vs Birmingham Bears
4️⃣ Vitality Blast vs Yorkshire Vikings
5️⃣ Vitality Blast vs Durham
6️⃣ MB One Day Cup vs Warwickshire
Incredible support 🙌 pic.twitter.com/Q6SUvI95HA
It was a positive start from the away side, who restricted the Rapids to just five runs from the opening three overs before Gareth Roderick (5), a century-maker against Gloucestershire, pushed at a delivery and was pouched by Rob Yates at first slip.
Rob Jones (2) then took a stride forward but outside-edged another catch to Yates and captain Jake Libby (3) nicked through to keeper Michael Burgess in the same over as The Rapids slipped to 16-3.
Ed Pollock (8) was bowled by a Barnard delivery which nipped back in. Kashif Ali adopted an aggressive approach and lofted Hannon-Dalby for six over long on but it was his only scoring stroke as he fell to a fine legside catch by Burgess off Barnard.
At 25-5, it looked like being an embarrassing collapse but a 33-run stand between Waite and Ben Cox took the score to 58-5. But the latter was caught by Yates looking to cut Michael Booth.
Waite looked in good touch and new signing Logan Van Beek gave him good support in a partnership of 28 but there was little he could do when a delivery from Hannon-Dalby popped up off a length and he fended it to gulley.
Waite and Josh Baker were then dismissed in consecutive deliveries for the eighth and ninth wicket, before Pennington was stumped to wrap up the innings for 108.
It was always going to be straightforward for Warwickshire, and they made light work of the chase.
Openers Barnard and Yates put on 103 runs for the first wicket, with the former being the one to find the boundary at frequent intervals.
Baker did trap Yates LBW but it was nothing but a very small consolation as the away side cruised to victory.
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