3.19pm – Head to worcesterobserver.co.uk/sport/all-round-effort-takes-the-rapids-to-the-vitality-blast-final for a match report from the first semi-final. We will be back with LIVE coverage from the final of this year’s Vitality Blast from 6.45pm. See you then!
1.56pm – WOW! What a performance with first bat and then ball. Moeen and Pat Brown the stars of the show as Worcestershire Rapids make the final of the Vitality Blast on their first appearance at Finals Day!7
A single off the last ball but Worcestershire Rapids WIN by 20 runs and make it into this evening’s Final where they will face either Somerset or Sussex!!
19.2 – SIX! – Jennings will not be bowed! Smashes it over long on for a maximum, he needs a few more though
Last over Lancashire 141-9 needing 29 off six balls.
18.6 – WICKET – Parkinson c Fell b Brown 0 – What a talent this Pat Brown is, Parkison skied it, Fell did the rest and the 20-year-old finishes with 4-21 from his four overs
18.5 – WICKET – Lester b Brown 0 – looking for the big shot. You miss I hit says dead-eye Pat Brown who now has 3-21 with one ball left of his four overs
18.2 – WICKET – Faulkner c Fell b Brown 2 – pulled it seeking the boundary but only found Fell at wide long on. The rate keeps rising. Lancashire need something special from here
Pat Brown for the penultimate over
1.43pm – End of the 18th over Lancashire are 140-6 needing 30 off two overs
How are the nerves Rapids fans?
1.39pm – Another good over for the Rapids, Lightning 132-6 needing 38 off three overs
16.5 – WICKET – And another Clark c Mitchell b Brown 3 at square leg 132-6 now
16.3 – FOUR – Short from Brown and pulled away by Jennings square on the leg side
Four overs left 126-5 and Lancashire need 44
15.6 – FOUR – Moeen’s final ball tickled away for four but shouldn’t detract from an awesome effort with the ball four overs 2-16
14.6 – WICKET – Vilas run out 12 – horrendous from Lancashire, Vilas kept out a yorker from Barnard and ran a single, turned for a non-existent second and was run out. 119-5 and Moeen’s back for his final over
14.3 – FOUR – Paddled round the corner from Vilas for four
1.27pm – End of the 14th and Lancashire are 111-4. 59 needed off six overs. 10 an over and here’s Ed Barnard
13.4 – SIX! – You wait seven overs for one and two come along at once! Jennings smashes it over mid-wicket fence for a maximum
13.3 – FOUR – First boundary for seven overs as Jennings hits it down the ground to bring up the Lancashire 100
1.24pm – Eight off that over Lancs 98-4. Moeen comes off with figures of 2-9 from his three overs. Daryl Mitchell into the attack
Eight overs left Lancs 90-4 and this is truly game on now.
11.5 – WICKET – Buttler b Moeen 12 – that’s a big wicket! One England star removes another as the big-hutting plays on off Moeen. Pitch is slow and Moeen taking full advantage
1.17pm – Eight off Brett D’Oliveira’s first over in singles and twos. No boundaries again. 86-3
1.13pm – Nothing for Buttler and Jennings to get their teeth into from another tight Moeen over. Lancs 78-3
1.10pm – End of the ninth over and good control from Barnard again – this feels very close game Lancs 75-3
13.06pm – Top first over from Moeen just the two runs from it and the wicket of Lilley. Spin slowed the Rapids down in their innings, will it have the same effect here?
7.4 – WICKET – Lilley lbw Moeen 23 – spin does it again and after a close shout the previous ball Moeen gets the decision. Game on?
End of the over 65-2 and here comes Moeen!
6.5 – WICKET – Livingstone c D’Oliveira b Barnard 30 – went for another big shot spooned up in the air and snaffled by the all-rounder running from point. A much needed scalp for the Rapids
6.3 – SIX! – Another big un! – whacked over midwicket by Livingstone again, Lancs finding the boundary with ease
END OF THE POWERPLAY (SIX OVERS) Lancashire 55-1
5.5 – FOUR – Down the ground again, same result, four more!
5.4 – FOUR – Lilley brings up the Lancashire 50 with a flat batted shot down the ground
12.55pm – End of the fifth over and the Lightning are 44-1. Change of ends for Pat Brown..
4.6 – SIX! – Whacked high and long onto the roof of the Eric Hollies as Livingstone joins the maximum club
4.3 – SIX! – Walloped hard and straight by Lilley for a maximum
4.1 – FOUR – Parnell drops short and is pulled away by skipper Livingstone to mid-wicket for a boundary
12.49pm – End of the fourth over and Lancashire are 25-1 – not getting off to a Lightning start…
Pleased to say Wood is continuing and bowls another dot ball to Lilley
3.4 – CHANCE – Lilley smashes the ball back at Wood who can’t hold on for the caught and bowled and looks in a degree of discomfort.
12.42pm – End of the third over, apart from a leg side wide first ball that’s a great start for young Pat Brown – 22-1
2.4 – WICKET – Davies run out Barnard 9. Easy single but they ran a second after a misfield and paid the price 20-1
Just the one over for Wood as Pat Brown comes into the attack
End of the second over, I have eaten a lot of candy already and Lancashire are also buzzing at 17-0
1.4 – FOUR – Smashed down the ground for another four as Parnell gets hit for two boundaries off three balls.
1.2 – FOUR – Livingstone caresses it through the covers to open his account 12-0
Last ball of the over also went for four as Lancs end the first over 8-0
0.5 – FOUR – A great start from Wood is met with a blistering drive from opener Alex Davies down the ground. Skipper Liam Livingstone had a bad day with the ball and almost had a headache as the ball whistled past his head!
Opening the bowling for the Rapids is Nottinghamshire loanee Luke Wood who has been allowed to play for the Rapids today by the Outlaws
12.28pm – Welcome back. There’s pick and mix for the press so with a mouthful of fizzy cola bottles we are ready for Lancashire’s reply. 170 for a place in the final this evening.
12.18pm – End of the innings. Worcestershire Rapids are 169-6. Full credit to Cox and Barnard for steadying the ship and getting the Rapids up to something which looks defendable on this wicket which is offering something for the spinners.
The Rapids have the leading wicket taker in the competition in Pat Brown, Lancashire have Jos Buttler. It promises to be a fascinating chase. See you in a couple of minutes
19.5 – FOUR – Down the ground and beats the despairing dive for another boundary.
Singles off the first two balls before Ben Cox brings up a deserved 50 off 32 balls with two fours and three sixes. 163-6
End of the over and what an over it was a last ball free hit almost saw the big hitting keeper run out but six balls to go and the Rapids are 160-6. Ready!
18.4 – SIX! – The best of the lot, big swing from Cox and into the second row of the pavilion.
18.3 – SIX – Down the pitch and smashed over midwicket again!
18.2 – FOUR – Cox gets it past the despairing Buttler dive for another boundary
18.1 – SIX! – Ben Cox sweeps hard over mid wicket for a maximum.
Two overs, 12 balls left – Rapids 133-6….150? 160?
17.4 – FOUR – All runs welcome and Barnard gets out the unorthodox again to reverse sweep the impressive Khan for four to square leg. 132-6
12.05pm – Three overs to go 124-6
16.5 – Brilliant fielding from Jennings at mid-wicket saves a certain four off Cox
12.00pm – End of the 16th over and Rapids are 114-6. Four overs left, surely 150 must be the minimum from here?
15.2 – FOUR – Cheeky from Ed Barnard, paddle sweep off England’s Keaton Jennings for another boundary
Five overs left and the Rapids are 106-6
14.4 – FOUR – Barnard gets the ball to the rope with an under-edge of Jordan Clark to fine leg.
14.2 – Barnard brings up the Rapids 100 with a dab down to third man – 100-6
11.53am – End of the 14th over and Rapids are 97-6 – Barnard and Cox at the wicket. They performed some big hitting in the Royal London One Day Cup semi-final against Kent…..
13.4 – WICKET – Mitchell lbw Clark 6 – 97-6
11.48am – End of the over 94-5 – no boundaries and Matt Parkinson ends with figures of 4-0-23-2
11.45am – End of the over 87-5 – Cox and Mitchell attempting to rebuild. Eight overs to go
Singles only from Khan, he’s been a revelation since coming on 1-15 off his 2.5 overs
11.42am – End of the over Rapids 83-5. What’s a good score from here Rapids fans?
10.4 – WICKET – Whiteley b Parkinson 4 – pitched on middle and spun into leg stump beating Whiteley’s attempted swing into the leg side. 82-5 and Lancashire’s spinners are ruling the roost
9.5 – FOUR – That will help, Cox pulls away into the leg side for a boundary and at the halfway stage the Rapids are 81-4
Khan keeping Ross Whiteley quiet, the big all rounder finally gets a single away
11.35am – End of the ninth over and those three wickets in three balls have rocked the Rapids, just four singles from that over. 75-4
8.1 – WICKET – Fell stumped Buttler b Parkinson 23 – three wickets in three balls and the Rapids are up against it now
7.6 – WICKET – Disaster for Worcestershire, Brett D’Oliveira run out without facing a ball 70-3
7.5 – WICKET – Just moments after sending that update Moeen skies Zahir Khan to Faulkner at long off for a well made 41 off 21 balls – 70-2
End of the seventh over and the Rapids are 65-1. Apart from the early wicket of Clarke very little to trouble Moeen Ali’s side so far. Ali is 40 off 19 balls
6.3 – FOUR – Fell’s turn to use his feet to the spinner Matt Parkinson, lofts him over cover for a boundary
END OF THE POWERPLAY (SIX OVERS) Rapids 56-1
5.5 – FOUR – Back to back boundaries for Fell as he pulls off his legs fine for a boundary
5.4 – FOUR – Fell brings up the Rapids 50 with a drive through point which again should have been fielded
End of the over and the Rapids are 47-1
4.4 – FOUR – Moeen launches one high over point to bring up another boundary to make it 44-1
End of the fourth over and the Rapids are 40-1. The new batsman is Tom Fell who is making his first appearance with the bat in this year’s competition on Finals Day.
3.1 – WICKET – Clarke, bowled Faulkner 5
End of the over – Rapids 37-0 from three overs
2.6 – FOUR – A sensational over for the Rapids comes to an end with Moeen under-edging through the slips for 4
2.5 – FOUR – Sweep brings four more through the leg side
2.4 – FOUR – Moeen cutting loose with another boundary through the covers
2.3 – SIX! – The England all-rounder advances down the pitch and plants the skipper into the stands over long off.
2.2 – FOUR – Moeen helps a full toss from Lancs skipper Liam Livingstone away for a boundary
11.07am – End of the second over, five singles off James Faulkner and the Rapids are 14-0
End of the first over, Rapids 9-0
0.5 – FOUR – And another! Smashed past the bowler for another boundary
0.4 – FOUR – Moeen opens the Rapids with a four through cover
11am – The players are out, it’s time to begin
HELLO and welcome to LIVE coverage of the Rapids Vitality Blast semi-final against the Lancashire Lightning on Finals Day
Lancashire have won the toss and will bowl first.
RAPIDS: Clarke, Moeen Ali, Fell, D’Oliveira, Cox, Whiteley, Barnard, Parnell, Mitchell, Wood, Brown