Rapids pip Jets to reach summit

Ross Whiteley and Gareth Andrew powered Worcestershire to an unlikely five-wicket win over Durham Jets that put the Rapids top of the NatWest T20 Blast North Group.

With their side chasing 106, following Calum MacLeod's unbeaten 43 in a match reduced to 13 overs a side, the pair came together with 48 needed off 27 balls.

Andrew smashed 20 from 11 deliveries and, when he was dismissed in the final over, Whiteley won the match with his third six to finish 25 not out from 14 balls.

Worcestershire therefore knocked Lancashire Lightning off the summit courtesy of net run-rate.

Despite the sunny conditions at New Road, earlier rain had left the outfield wet and it was eventually decided that a shortened game could get under way at 4.30pm.

The hosts won the toss and got off to a good start with two wickets in the second over.

Mark Stoneman skied Chris Russell's first ball of the match to Alexei Kervezee in the deep and Phil Mustard was gone next delivery as some extra bounce saw the ball catch his glove on the way through to wicketkeeper Ben Cox.

That brought Ben Stokes to the crease and he hit three fours in the next over but fell for 24 in the sixth when he was caught at long-on by Andrew off Colin Munro.

MacLeod clobbered two big leg-side sixes and was given a reprieve on 29 when he was caught on the boundary by Richard Oliver but the fielder could not stop himself standing on the rope. Four runs were erroneously awarded instead of six, though it would prove inconsequential in the final analysis.

Gordon Muchall made 30 of an unbroken stand of 72 with the Scotland star, whose runs came from 33 balls.

Daryl Mitchell went early in Worcestershire's reply, top-edging a simple catch to Stokes off John Hastings, but Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit three boundaries in the third over - two of them edged through the vacant slip area.

Although Oliver fell to Usman Arshad, held by Stokes at backward point, Kohler-Cadmore and overseas star Munro put on 34, with the youngster striking boundaries off Keaton Jennings and Gareth Breese.

Hastings removed both batsmen in successive balls, Kohler-Cadmore for 32 and Munro for 11, but new men Andrew and Whiteley put on a decisive 43 in just four overs.

Whiteley launched two sixes off Hastings in the 11th over, the Australian finishing with 3-31, and 15 were required from the final set of six.

Andrew made the perfect start by hoisting Rushworth for six and four and, though he holed out to Stokes going for another maximum, Whiteley did the job next ball.