Defending champions Pirates booked a fourth consecutive final spot at the Toyota DPL 2025 after back-to-back victories on a weather-hit weekend at Worcester Norton CC.
Having defeated Hawks by nine runs in a hugely entertaining fixture first up, a 22-run win over Black Cats on DLS gave Anthony Clapham’s charges an unassailable lead at the top of the table with four wins from four. Meanwhile, Tridents’ seven-wicket triumph over Hawks – skipper Liam O’Brien’s six taking his team past their revised target of 64 as rain brought a premature end after the first ball of the eighth over – means last year’s beaten finalists go into next week’s final group stage games in the box seat, with two wins from four. It sets up an intriguing showdown in the shadow of the Malvern Hills at Colwall CC with Hawks and Black Cats – both with a win apiece – still not entirely out of contention.
On this evidence, however, Pirates – 2024’s winners with a 100 percent record – will take some beating. Three consecutive sixes in the final over from all-rounder Joe Moss – last week’s MVP – hoisted Pirates to an imposing 202-6 against Hawks. Despite losing opener Henry Wainman (4) to Danny Hamm early, solid contributions from Dan Bowser (45), Brendon Parr (38), Liam Thomas (29*) and a watchful 22 from Clapham on a lightning-fast outfield, helped Pirates post the highest score of this year’s tournament.
In reply, Callum Flynn’s imperious 51-ball 83, and 48 from the evergreen Umesh Valjee took Hawks deep. At 178-2, 25 were needed from the final two overs. But when Jordyn Dore dismissed Kevin Cooper (11) and then caught and bowled Flynn off a top edge, while conceding only three in the 19th over, the writing was on the wall. On the adjacent pitch, Black Cats – winless in the first week – had got their campaign moving with a five-wicket victory over Tridents, passing their target of 146 with an over to spare, thanks in large part to the momentum offered by veteran seamer Farooq Mohammad’s elevation to open with Ben Williams. Farooq’s 39 off 36 balls set the tone as the pair added 41 inside the first four overs.
Tridents’ rain-readjusted afternoon victory, nicely poised on 67-2 in pursuit of Hawks’ 175-4 (Alex Hammond 67*, Kevin Cooper 41*) gives them the advantage heading into next week’s critical meetings. A victory for Tridents over Pirates or Black Cats should ensure a repeat of last year’s final, but back-to-back wins for Black Cats or Hawks – who meet first – could still see them join Pirates in Cardiff on 10 September.
Regardless, this was another vintage weekend for the competition, with Sussex leg-spinner Jake Vosloo (16) and 19-year-old Surrey seamer Aditya Patwardhan, both late Hawks call-ups for their first DPL season, looking like seasoned performers at this level. England mixed disability skipper Flynn was full of praise for Vosloo. “I’m so excited to see a player like him coming through the ranks – his googly at that age, the control – so impressive.”
Highlights