Royals claim one-day crown

13 September 2007

Gareth Batty led Worcestershire to their first NatWest Pro40 title © Getty Images

Worcestershire's wet and sorry season finally came right as they beat Gloucestershire by six wickets to win the NatWest Pro40 title.

The success brought the county a first trophy for 13 years and some consolation from a troubled season in which they have been relegated in the LV County Championship and had their New Road ground flooded.

The margin of victory reflected the difference between these sides at Bristol and it might have been wider but for the floodlights.

One of the 15-lamp pylons went out as Graeme Hick was leading the dash for victory after Gloucestershire had posted a challenging score of 270 for nine.

When they came back on 15 minutes later Hick quickly lost his off stump for 34 and next man in Abdul Razzaq was caught behind for a single.

It all left Worcestershire, who last won the competition in 1988, slightly on edge but Stephen Moore was there to hit the winning two runs with 11 balls left.

The win put the county four points ahead of second-placed Hampshire in Division One with a game in hand.

Craig Spearman and Steve Davies were the batting stars for their sides © Getty Images

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Gloucestershire had won 16 of the previous 21 one-day games with their neighbours and in batting first were looking to the dampness of a September evening to give them the edge again.

From the start of their reply Worcestershire's Steve Davies and Moeen Ali made certain it would not as they hammered 151 in 16 overs before Mark Hardinges' first ball deceived Ali to bowl him for 72.

Although Ali had been first to his 50 with nine fours, it was Davies who had set the tone of the assault as he put the 100 up in the 12th over.

One over from the hapless Carl Greenidge went for 15 runs including a no-ball, a wide and four byes - although no runs were scored off the two free hits.

Davies reached his 50 with 10 boundaries and when Ali departed the 21-year-old left-hander stepped up the pace until mistiming an off-drive to be caught for 84.

It was the start of the 24th over but Worcestershire, needing 82, were kept on course by Hick and Moore.

Gloucestershire had looked equally confident on a good batting strip until Kadeer Ali, a former Worcestershire player, was caught off the bowling of his cousin Kabir for 31. He was quickly followed by Hamish Marshall, who was bowled by Razzaq for 30.

Craig Spearman - who is to have a benefit next year, seven years after joining Gloucestershire - then built the innings with Alex Gidman.

They put on 115 for the third wicket but then things began to unravel as Worcestershire grabbed six wickets for 49 in a little over seven overs.

It took a breezy knock by David Brown of 30 not out from 19 balls for the home side to post what might have been a winning total on another night.