Northamptonshire proved far too strong for Worcestershire as they won both 2XI T20s at Kidderminster Cricket Club on Monday.
Both teams played full strength sides with first team regulars on display, using the matches as good preparation for their T20 Blast meeting on Wednesday.
Northamptonshire won the toss and elected to bat and Chris Lynn and Ricardo Vasconcelos made no mistake in punishing the Worcestershire bowlers. The two started slowly, scoring just 16 over the first four overs, but soon accelerated their scoring.
Lynn and Vasconcelos added 110 runs in just eight overs after that before Vasconcelos fell just short of his half century, scoring 47 off 30 deliveries.
Unfortunately for Worcestershire, that meant David Willey came to the crease at 3.
Willey and Lynn didn’t hold back in their attack of the Worcestershire bowlers, with a remarkable display of power hitting. In the 14th over, Lynn eventually fell for 93 off 52 balls, hitting 7 fours and 7 sixes, mostly off the bowling of spinner Josh Baker, who ended with figures of 0-69 off his four overs.
Willey and Saif Zaib ended the innings strongly for Northamptonshire, hitting a 70 partnership off 29 before Willey was removed caught and bowled in the final over for 53 by Adam Finch.
Northamptonshire posted a dominant 232/3 off their 20 overs, including an astonishing 19 sixes and 16 fours.
It didn’t take Northamptonshire long to make a breakthrough as they begun their defense, with Willey bowling Jack Haynes for a duck in the first over.
Worcestershire tried to keep up with the required run rate, but Northamptonshire’s bowling attack proved too strong and limited Worcestershire to 194/8 off 20 overs.
Willey was ably backed up by an impressive performance from James Sales with the ball, as the two took 3 and 2 wickets respectively. Alex Russell, Graeme White and Tom Taylor also helped limit the Worcestershire run chase, taking a wicket apiece.
In the second game of the day, a much-changed Northamptonshire side still proved too strong for Worcestershire.
Bowling first this time, Northamptonshire once again showed their steel and limited Worcestershire to 130 all out. Despite striking at 10 an over to start the innings, Northamptonshire quickly skittled through their opposition as they stumbled from 103-5 to 130 all out.
Freddie Heldreich was the pick of the bowlers this time, taking 3-19 from 3 overs. Trialist Justin Broad and Alex Russell also displayed strong performances, taking two wickets each.
Coming out to bat, Northamptonshire showed their intent to quickly get the game done and carry momentum into their first Vitality Blast game proper this week.
Emilio Gay was involved this time and quickly went to work, hitting 29 runs from the first two overs and before his opening partner Miller had even faced a ball.
Miller was dismissed in the third over, trapped LBW by from Matthew Waite bringing Josh Cobb to the crease to quickly joined Gay in a relentless display of run scoring.
Cobb and Gay combined for 72 runs from 5 overs, at more than 14 an over.
Gay eventually fell for a destructive 61 off 29, striking at 210 before Lewis McManus made his return to action after a spell of the sidelines because of injury.
McManus and Cobb quickly finished the job, reaching the 130 target in just under 10 overs.
Cobb ended on 47* off 21, playing some sensational shots on the way, and McManus a quickfire 17 off just 6 deliveries.
Both sides meet at The County Ground on Wednesday 25th May in their first T20 Vitality Blast game of the season.