RISING star Pat Brown is on the verge of another landmark moment in his flourishing Rapids career as he closes in on spin wizard Saeed Ajmal’s record for the most wickets in a season by a Worcestershire player in T20 cricket.
Pakistan star Ajmal picked up 21 T20 wickets for the County during the 2015 campaign but, going into the Rapids’ home Vitality Blast encounter with Derbyshire Falcon, Brown is only one wicket away from emulating that performance in 2018,s.
The Worcester University student has already equalled skipper Joe Leach’s performance of 2016 when he finished with 20 wickets.
Brown’s three scalps in the win over Notts Outlaws at Trent Bridge on Saturday evening in front of the Sky Sports cameras consolidated his position as the competition’s leading wicket-taker.
The 19-year-old now has 20 wickets to his name from nine appearances – four more than New Zealand duo of medium pacer Grant Elliott (Birmingham Bears) and spinner Ish Sodhi (Notts Outlaws) – and in one game less.
Rapids captain Moeen Ali is delighted with the impact made by Brown in the Blast – and said the paceman is his ‘go-to’ bowler when a wicket is needed.
Moeen said: “Pat’s confidence is sky high. He loves it and always wants to bowl and I turn to him when I feel we need a wicket.
“He is bowling fantastically well. His slower ball is very good and he has got a lot of wickets with that delivery.
“He just comes on and believes he is going to get a wicket and that it is quite good to have as a captain.”
Meanwhile, Moeen became only the second Worcestershire player to score 2,000 T20 runs during his fine knock of 65 in the weekend away win over Notts Outlaws.
Daryl Mitchell is out in front with 2,118 runs – and also features prominently in the bowling charts for Worcestershire in T20 cricket.
The 34-year-old is second placed with 81 wickets – 11 behind the recently retired left-armer Jack Shantry – with Moeen in third spot on 56.