Saturday 7 June 2014 20:42, UK
Some late power-hitting from Ross Whiteley and Gareth Andrew inspired Worcestershire to a five-wicket win over Durham, a victory which puts the Rapids top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group.
With their side chasing 106, following Calum MacLeod's unbeaten 43 in a match reduced to 13 overs a side due to rain, the pair came together with 48 needed off 27 balls.
Andrew smashed 20 off 11 balls and when he was dismissed in the final over, Whiteley won the match with his third six to finish 25 not out from 14 balls.
The home side won the toss and elected to field after rain had delayed the start of play, and got off to a flying start with two wickets in the second over.
Mark Stoneman (two) skied Chris Russell's first delivery of the match to Alexei Kervezee in the deep and Phil Mustard (three) was gone next delivery as some extra bounce saw the ball catch his glove on the way through to Ben Cox.
That brought Ben Stokes to the crease and he hit three fours in the next over but was gone for 24 in the sixth when he was caught at long-on by Gareth Andrew off Colin Munro.
MacLeod clobbered two big leg-side sixes and was given a reprieve on 29 when he was caught on the boundary by Richard Oliver but the opener could not stop himself standing on the rope. Four runs were erroneously awarded instead of six, though it would prove inconsequential in the final analysis.
Gordon Muchall made 30 not out in an unbroken stand of 72 with the Scotland star, whose runs came from 33 balls.
Daryl Mitchell was gone early in Worcestershire's reply, top-edging a simple catch to Stokes off John Hastings, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit three boundaries in the third over - two of them edged through the vacant slip area.
Oliver slapped Usman Arshad (1-10) straight to Stokes at backward point but Kohler-Cadmore (32) and overseas star Colin Munro (11) put on 34, with the youngster striking boundaries off Keaton Jennings and Gareth Breese.
Hastings removed both batsmen in successive balls but new men Andrew and Whiteley put on a decisive 43 in just four overs.
Whiteley launched two sixes off Hastings in the 11th over, the Australian finishing with 3-31, and 15 were required from the final over.
Andrew made the perfect start by hoisting Rushworth for six and four and, though he picked out Stokes going for another six, Whiteley did the job next ball.
