WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids slipped to a seven-run defeat against Lancashire Lightning in their first game of the new T20 Blast season.
The Rapids looked well-placed for victory only to stutter at the midway point of their reply after Lancashire finished on 176-8 at Old Trafford.
However, Worcestershire could not score runs at a quick enough rate and closed on 169-7 eight runs short of victory.
Lightning captain and opener Keaton Jennings (66) scored a quickfire half-century in an explosive innings which lasted 38 balls.
The home side put on 79 runs for the first wicket inside eight overs as Jennings combined well with Luke Wells (35) at the crease.
And Ashton Turner (31) and Michael Jones (26) also chipped in with useful runs before the Rapids took a flurry of late wickets to halt Lancashire’s progress.
Fateh Singh (2-23) picked up two scalps in the same over while Tom Hinley, Ethan Brookes, Jacob Duffy and Ben Dwarshuis all claimed one wicket apiece.
Worcestreshire lost opener Ed Pollock (10) at the end of the first over of their reply but recovered well courtesy of Brett D’Oliveira (30) and Kashif Ali (39).
However, D’Oliveira and Adam Hose (13) fell in quick succession before Lancashire ran out Gareth Roderick (15) to leave the Rapids on 121-5.
And Brookes (28) and Dwarshuis (26 not out) could not find the boundary with enough regularity as Tom Aspinwall (1-25) bowled a economic final over to deny the Rapids victory.
Worcestershire continue their T20 Blast campaign against Yorkshire on Sunday, June 1 with the game to begin at 2.30pm at New Road.
