Glamorgan Defeated in the Darkness at New Road

Adam Hose (50 from 31 balls) and Isaac Mohammed (30) lifted The Rapids to 168 for 8 against a well-directed attack led by Tim van der Gugten (1 for 21) and Andy Gorvin (3 for 34).

It was a modest total, but too many for a Glamorgan side forced to bat for the most part in Stygian gloom. Having lost Asa Tribe and Mason Crane to Lions duty from the team which beat Somerset at Taunton the previous night, Glamorgan came in well short at 141 all out from 19.3 overs. Kiran Carlson made 35 from 24 but wickets fell regularly as new batters coming in struggled to locate the ball. Sikandar Raza took 4 for 17.

Glamorgan chose to bowl and did so well, with clever changes of pace, to restrict The Rapids to 42 for 2 in the powerplay. Both wickets arrived in Dan Douthwaite’s first over. His first ball was lifted to mid off by Brett D’Oliveira. His third took out Kashif Ali’s middle-stump.

With the score only 66 in the tenth over, Mohammed sought acceleration and was superbly caught by Ben Kellaway right on the deep mid-wicket rope off Gorvin. Ethan Brookes also sent up a skier off the medium-pacer.

Hose struck sixes in successive overs from James Neesham and Kellaway to reach his 23rd T20 half-century, from 30 balls, but became Gorvin’s third victim when he jabbed back a low return catch. At 131 for 6 with three overs left, the Rapids needed late fireworks. Usama Mir (23 from 10) provided them with three sixes.

Glamorgan’s reply began in gathering gloom and brought just 13 runs from the first three overs. Openers Carlson and Will Smale added 53 in 40 balls but then fell in successive overs. Carlson swept Mir to deep mid-wicket and, seven balls later, Smale was bowled by Raza. Henry Hurle ladled his third ball, from Adam Finch, to long leg and Kelleway chipped a return catch to Raza as the new batters struggled to find their way to the crease, never mind see the ball, in the Worcester gloaming. Dickson was bowled, backing away at Finch, before, at 68 for 5 from 10.5 overs, the umpires deemed the light not just difficult but dangerous and took the players off.

Twelve minutes later, play resumed but the batters required either night vision goggles or a miracle. Neither were available and the Rapids comfortably closed out victory, though it came at a worrying price as Finch stumbled, trying to prevent a second run, and limped off the field clearly in great discomfort.

Glamorgan captain Kiran Carlson said:

"It was dark and in any other form of cricket we wouldn't have played. It was really strange and pretty tough for guys coming into bat against a bowler who spins it both ways. It felt like we had the worst of the conditions. I think we probably shouldn't have started batting in that light, to be completely honest.

"Me and [Will] Smaley, as the openers, had some time out there to get used to the light, but new batters coming didn't have that luxury. T20 is fast-paced, guys have to come in and score quickly straight away and when we came off with five down, the game was already done. It was frustrating. It is disappointing but Worcestershire are a good outfit, especially at home, and we have just got to put it behind us and go again on Sunday.

"Drama seems to be following us around at the moment, We got to the hotel at 2.30 this morning after the win at Taunton last night. The schedule is what it is - you can't change it and I think for the most part we did well tonight. There were just a couple of moments where maybe we let them get too many."