BIG-HITTING Kiwi opener Martin Guptill claimed there is ‘no reason’ why Worcestershire Rapids cannot go all the way and win the Vitality Blast after his side continued their 100 per cent start to the campaign.
Debutant Dillon Pennington impressed on his Blast debut with two key wickets as part of a disciplined attack which restricted the Falcons to 135-9 after they had been put into bat on a slow pitch.
Guptill then hit his second successive half-century for the Rapids – and against his former club – to help seal a third successive victory with eight balls to spare as he adapted to the conditions.
Another ex-Derbyshire player, Ross Whiteley, sealed victory in grand manner with a six off Matt Critchley.
“Any time you go three (wins) from three in a T20 competition, which can be quite fickle at times, it is a great start and the boys are playing some great, exciting cricket,” he said.
“Was I pleased with my innings? Yes and no. Obviously it wasn’t as free-flowing but, with the way the pitch was, it was good to get to the end of the innings and then launch an attack and that’s how it played out.
“It was one of those wickets where you couldn’t really go hard early. You had to bide your time and just wait for the bad balls. The ball was popping off a length and it wasn’t easy to get any timing. The longer you batted, the easier it became.
“Pleased with the young bowlers? In the last game it was Pat Brown and in this game it was Dillon Pennington.”
Rapids welcome bottom of the group Northamptonshire Steelbacks to New Road on Friday before the Sky cameras roll into the city for the clash with Yorkshire Vikings on Sunday which starts at the revised time of 1pm because of the World Cup final at 4pm.
“How far can Worcestershire go in the Blast? If we keep playing the same cricket we are now, we can go all the way,” Guptill said.
“There is no reason why we can’t but, at the end of the day, T20 cricket is one of those games where you can get on a winning role but also get on a losing role as well.
“We’ve just got to keep doing the same things we are doing, keep doing the basics right.”