Adam Hose hit a devastating 95 from 51 balls to help Worcestershire Rapids secure a 25-run victory over Notts Outlaws in the T20 Blast at Trent Bridge.
The hosts won the toss and put Worcestershire in to bat – a decision that looked to be paying dividends when they picked up two quick early wickets to put the Rapids under pressure at 1-2.
Worcestershire skipper Brett D’Oliveira was run out for a golden duck in bizarre fashion just three balls into the innings when he lost his balance as he tried to take a quick single and bowler Daniel Sams reacted quickly to dismiss him with a direct hit.
Ed Pollock then hammered former Worcestershire bowler Dillon Pennington’s first ball straight down Matthew Montgomery’s throat at deep square leg to leave the Rapids in a spot of bother.
But Kashif Ali instantly went on the attack for Worcestershire, hitting three sixes in the space of three overs to end the powerplay at 57-2.
Ali moved onto 51 but soon after he was caught in the deep by Lyndon James after coming down the track to Calvin Harrison in the 10th over and sending one straight to long on.
From that moment onwards, Hose stepped on the gas and produced a blistering batting display, smashing six sixes – two of which sailed over the stand – and seven fours.
The first maximum from Hose was the biggest of the lot, sending an enormous slog sweep into the street outside the ground off Liam Patterson-White.
Hose repeated the trick again shortly after, this time off Harrison, and then went to his 21st T20 career half-century – and second of the season – in some style as he pulled Conor McKerr for six.
Ethan Brookes ably supported Hose, making a valuable 32 from 19 balls before he tried to go big through the leg side against Patterson-White but was caught by Sams in the deep to bring to an end a 79-run partnership with Hose to leave the Rapids on 153-4.
However it did not slow Worcestershire’s progress as Ben Dwarshuis joined Hose in the middle and they took 16 runs from Pennington in the 17th over and then 19 from Sams in the penultimate over of the innings.
There was still time for one more six in the final over off Pennington – and 11th of the evening for the Rapids – as Dwarshuis smashed one on the up over mid-wicket on his way to 18 not out off nine balls.
With Hose chasing what would have been the first T20 Blast century of the season, he tried to scoop Pennington down to fine leg but was trapped in front, falling just five runs short of a ton as Worcestershire finished on 206-5.
Hose’s 95 is the joint-highest score of the T20 Blast season, with Lancashire’s Keaton Jennings also reaching the same figure against Notts in May.
