Raza Shines as Sanderson’s Three-Wicket Haul Leaves Worcestershire Struggling
Northamptonshire 143/6 (Breetzke 52, *Raza 43, Taylor 2-16) beat Worcestershire 132/7 (Brookes 42, Sanderson 3-16) by 11 runs
Northamptonshire strengthened their hopes of reaching the Vitality Blast knockout stages with a hard-fought victory over Worcestershire, securing their fourth win in six matches this season. In contrast, Worcestershire’s fourth consecutive defeat has left them with an uphill task to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Batting was a challenging proposition on the two-paced hybrid pitch, as both teams had to scrap for runs. Ethan Brookes provided the backbone of Worcestershire’s innings with his joint highest T20 score, but Northamptonshire’s disciplined bowling performance, led by Ben Sanderson’s 3/16, restricted the home side.
Northamptonshire captain David Willey won the toss and elected to bat first. The opening partnership between Willey and Breetzke was not straightforward, with Willey experiencing a slice of good fortune when he inside-edged for four and was dropped at cover.
The introduction of Adam Finch and Hayden Walsh’s spin brought about the dismissals of Willey and George Bartlett, respectively. Ravi Bopara then perished while going for a big hit against Ethan Brookes, leaving Breetzke and Sikandar Raza to feature in the mainstay stand of the innings, adding 75 runs.
“Raza Shines as Sanderson’s Three-Wicket Haul Leaves Worcestershire Struggling.”
However, three wickets in two overs checked Northamptonshire’s hopes of obtaining late momentum, with Tom Taylor removing both Breetzke and Raza in the 19th over.
In the Worcestershire chase, Raphael Weatherall and Ben Sanderson made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 31/3. Brookes and Brett D’Oliveira tried to steady the innings, but Willey’s return to the attack saw the dismissal of Brookes, leaving the game in the balance.
Northamptonshire maintained their grip on the proceedings, with Smith and Pollock falling in the deep, as they secured a well-deserved 11-run victory.
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