Solanki stars for Royals
Vikram Solanki continued his run of good form with the bat
Worcestershire captain Vikram Solanki continued his prolific run of form at New Road headquarters by making an 83-ball century before rain wrecked the Friends Provident Trophy fixture against Scotland.
In successive matches on his home ground, Solanki has made 508 runs – an unbeaten 144 in a one-day match against Warwickshire, 232 in the LV County Championship game against Surrey and now 132 against the Saltires.
Worcestershire reached 365 for seven, their second-highest total in one-day competitions, and when the weather broke Scotland were in trouble at 20 for three after being blown apart by the new-ball attack of Kabir Ali (two for two) and Doug Bollinger (one for four).
With only eight overs bowled, Worcestershire were two short of the minimum number required for a result under the Duckworth-Lewis formula.
Both sides took one point but Scotland still finished bottom of the North Conference.
Worcestershire’s run glut coincided with a transformation in their form in the North Conference. After equalling their record defeat against Durham, they rebounded with three consecutive totals of 300 or more.
Dewald Nel was playing against his colleagues for Scotland
Though further weakened by injuries, Scotland still had most of their regular bowlers, including Dewald Nel, the South Africa-born seamer who is now on Worcestershire’s staff.
Playing against his county colleagues was not a rewarding experience. His first two balls were wides and in nine overs he conceded 59 runs in exchange for two late wickets.
Solanki and Phil Jaques started at a rapid rate. Having set a ground record one-day stand of 223 against Warwickshire, they looked good for something similar in racing to 143 by the 18th over.
Solanki was first to 50 in 38 balls and left-hander Jaques picked up the pace to reach 69 from 58 when he hoisted a catch to deep mid-wicket off Ross Lyons. In his first appearance of the season, the left-arm spinner then achieved a distinction by bowling Moeen Ali for 20.
All the other wickets were taken with catches in the deep as the batsmen went for the big shots. Solanki cleared the rope five times and also hit 14 fours as the Scots paid a heavy price for a missed stumping off Lyons when he had made 63.
Off-spinner Majid Haq ended his 94-ball innings when Qasim Sheikh held a chance at long off, but there was no respite as the older hands, Ben Smith (59) and Graeme Hick (41), put on 89 in 15 overs.
Four wickets then fell in the last three overs with John Blain involved in three of them. Catches at mid-off from Hick and Kabir gave Nel some consolation and he had Smith caught at mid-wicket off his own bowling. In between Kyle Hogg was run out without facing a ball.
