Falcons overcome Rapids in last ball thriller

Derbyshire Falcons kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast with a last ball five wicket success over injury-hit Worcestershire Rapids at Visit Worcestershire New Road.

It was a triumphant return to New Road for former Worcestershire duo Pat Brown and Ross Whiteley who played key parts in their side’s success.

Brown finished with figures of 4-23 to take his wicket tally in the competition this summer to 21 as Worcestershire were restricted to 169-8.

Then Whiteley smashed an unbeaten off 22 balls just when the Falcons were falling behind the run rate.

Alex Thomson turned Tom Taylor for the decisive run.

Now the Falcons must now defeat visiting Durham in tomorrow evening’s final group match and hope other results go their way.

Worcestershire’s total was based around opener Ed Pollock’s first half century of the summer.

Worcestershire were without eight senior players through injury and handed Blast debuts to Academy player, Jack Home, and Seconds keeper Henry Cullen.

The Rapids were put into bat by Falcons captain Samit Patel on a used hybrid pitch.

Pollock was soon into his stride with two boundaries in an over from spinner Alex Thomson but Brown struck in his first over when Brett D’Oliveira (6) was caught at cover.

Josh Cobb cleverly steered Brown through the vacant third man area and crashed the same bowler straight back past him to the boundary before being caught at backward square leg off the same bowler.

Pollock, who has experienced a lean season, looked in good touch and a straight drive off Mitch Wagstaff took him into the 30s for the first time this season.

New batter Gareth Roderick used the reverse sweep to good effect to collect two fours and a six at Patel’s expense but was then caught and bowled off the same bowler.

Ethan Brookes went past 300 Blast runs for in his first campaign for the Rapids when he edged Thomson for four to bring up the 100 in the 12th over.

Pollock completed a 37 balls half century with seven fours and Brookes raced to 30 off 19 balls before he pulled Zak Chappell straight to deep mid wicket.

The safe hands of Whiteley ended Pollock’s knock, also at deep mid wicket, off Chappell.

Brown returned for the final over to claim his 20th victim of the campaign by bowling Rob Jones and then deflected a straight drive onto the stumps from Jake Libby to run out Tom Taylor at the non striker’s end.

There was a fourth victim for Brown when Cullen was pouched at cover.

When Derbyshire batted, Aneurin Donald gave his side the ideal start with two fours and a massive six over backward square in Cobb’s first over.

Home came into the Worcestershire attack for the first time in the third over and the youngster was soon celebrating his first scalp as he bowled Donald for 28 made of just 12 balls.

Another youngster in Harry Darley then accounted for Luis Reece at cover as Derbyshire reached 50-2 in the powerplay.

Darley struck again as David Lloyd found Cullen at cover but Madsen and then Patel lofted tamely to long off against D’Oliveira.

Madsen batted well for 44 but then tried to ramp Brookes and was bowled.

But then came Whiteley’s trademark hitting to tip the scales in the Falcons favour.

Fourteen were still needed off the final over from Taylor but he eased the pressure with successive boundaries from the first two deliveries.

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