Openers ease Worcestershire home
Vikram Solanki and Steven Davies rubber-stamped Worcestershire’s third straight win in the Friends Provident Trophy with an unbroken partnership of 138 against Nottinghamshire at New Road.
The openers cancelled out Mark Wagh’s best one-day performance for Nottinghamshire and set up a thumping 10-wicket win with 17 balls to spare in a meeting of two counties with 100 per cent records.
After losing three partners in the first three overs, Wagh made 85 to lift the Outlaws to a workable total of 188 for eight but the home side confidently took over at the top of Group A after their target was reduced by rain.
Solanki, fresh from a double century against Yorkshire in the LV= County Championship, cruised to 49 and Davies played some eye-catching shots in making 82 from 59 balls, his second half-century in the competition this season.
In a shortened contest – due to a late start followed by an interruption in each innings - Worcestershire probably held the winning hand from the time Solanki won the toss and gave his bowlers the chance to exploit the favourable conditions.
Opener Steven Davies was at his explosive best as Worcestershire cruised past Nottinghamshire
Two spells confirmed their advantage. Australia paceman Ashley Noffke instigated Nottinghamshire’s early troubles with figures of 2-16 from his first six overs and off-spinner Gareth Batty completed a full eight-over allocation with 2-20.
Noffke marked his home debut for his fourth county by taking wickets with the fifth and sixth deliveries.
Daryl Mitchell held a head-high edge from Ali Brown at second slip and Alex Hales, who made his first century against Ireland on Sunday, was given out lbw when the next ball swung into his front pad.
Samit Patel was also lbw in the following over from Gareth Andrew but Wagh, having started the match with successive boundaries, continued to go for his shots in building a platform with Adam Voges.
They saw off the initial threat from Noffke, putting on 50 in 14 overs before Voges, on 26, was stumped by Davies in Batty’s second over.
The off-spinner applied further pressure when a loose shot by Will Jefferson was smartly held by Solanki at short midwicket.
Nottinghamshire could have caved in completely when Chris Read was run out by Ben Smith’s throw from short fine leg to the bowler’s end, but Paul Franks countered with a useful 20 until he failed to clear Smith at long-on.
The left hander helped Wagh past 50 – his 10th half-century in one-day cricket for Nottinghamshire – and then Mark Ealham give Nottinghamshire fresh hope with an unbeaten 42 from only 20 balls at the end of the innings.
His partnership with Wagh produced 56 from 32 deliveries before the opener, who hit eight fours and a six from 110 balls, drove Noffke (3-37) straight to Smith on the long-on boundary.
