Gareth Roderick’s outstanding century gives him an 85-run victory over his former team
Gareth Roderick, a keeper-batter for Worcestershire Rapids, celebrated his recovery from illness by scoring a magnificent century against his old team at New Road to help his team win the Metro Bank One-Day Cup by 85 runs.
Roderick, who missed the tournament’s first three games, maintained the strong form he has been displaying in the LV=Insurance County Championship with a highest score of 137 on the List A.
He showed his fortitude by persevering over a trying period with the new ball in seaming circumstances after the Rapids had been put in to bat.
But Roderick, who played for Gloucestershire for eight seasons, then picked up the pace to the point where he faced only 114 balls and smacked four sixes and 12 fours.
During their 193-run third-wicket stand against their neighborhood rivals, a Worcestershire record for the third wicket, Rapids captain Jake Libby, who is also having a strong season, provided him with excellent support.
Worcestershire’s score of 375 for 7 was their second-highest in 50-over cricket, with late contributions from newcomer Logan van Beek and Kashif Ali.
After that, Gloucestershire lost wickets to the seamers at regular intervals, four of which went to van Beek.
In the audience of more than 4,000, Jack Taylor, who has four Championship hundreds versus Worcestershire, gave the Gloucestershire supporters some late entertainment with a 94-ball century.
However, it did not change the outcome; rather, it helped Worcestershire secure their third victory in as many games.
As a result of the injuries to Brett D’Oliveira, Azhar Ali, and Cameron Jones, as well as the rest of Joe Leach and Dillon Pennington, Worcestershire made five changes from the team that lost to Somerset at Taunton on Sunday.
The Dutch international van Beek made his debut, and Matthew Waite, Ed Pollock, Roderick, and Brown were called back.
Zaman Akhter and Tom Price, who scored a century and a hat-trick in the matching LV=Insurance County Championship game between the teams on the same day, examined Pollock and Roderick.
When Pollock slipped to first base, Tom Price made his first advance, and the powerplay only resulted in 24 runs.
Through this difficult stretch, Rob Jones, a rookie batter, and Roderick tried to progressively pick up the pace.
Anwar Ali was handed through to goalkeeper James Bracey by Jones, who was initially on loan from Lancashire before beginning a three-year contract the following summer.
But at this point, the bat took control of the ball for the rest of the innings, with Roderick in excellent form and Libby providing excellent assistance as they broke the previous record of 159 set by Tom Fell and Alexei Kervezee at New Road nine years earlier.
Roderick reached three digits thanks to a song from Paul van Meekeren, which prompted a standing ovation.
The third-wicket partnership record against the visitors was set by Roderick of Anwar Ali with a string of sixes, and it unexpectedly occurred when Libby (86) was pouched low down at gulley off Zaman Akhtar.
Roderick hit the game-winning homer of the inning, a reverse scoop for six runs off Tom Smith, but he also sliced the spinner into short third in the same at-bat.
Smith managed to hold on to a Ben Cox return catch as well, but Kashif Ali and the newly acquired van Beek kept the innings moving forward.
Before pulling Graeme van Buuren to backward square leg, Kashif Ali quickly reached 39 from 22 balls. Van Beek then made an unbeaten 41 from 19 balls by hitting Tom Price for two sixes over long off.
When Gloucestershire batted, Matthew Waite bowled a superb opening spell, beating the bat on a number of occasions and meriting better stats than 6-1-12-0.
Bracey holed out to Kashif Ali at wide midfield, giving van Beek the opportunity to score the first goal.
Ben Gibbon defeated Ollie Price, who scored a century in the most recent Championship game at Cheltenham, thanks to a brilliant catch by Rob Jones at backward point.
When Pat Brown joined the attack, Gloucestershire was reduced to 80 for 5 after losing three wickets in his first three overs.
When Harry Tector turned Brown to cover and was unable to stop Kashif Ali’s throw to Ben Cox, he was run out after being thrown back.
Van Buuren was bowled out, and Chris Dent provided a straightforward caught-and-bowled.
Rehaan Edavalath, a replacement fielder, got right into the action by taking a superb diving catch at midwicket to dismiss Tom Price off van Beek.
Before Tom Smith was skillfully caught down the leg side by Baker, Libby initiated the attack, took out Anwar Ali at deep cover, and then took himself into the fray.
However, Taylor shone a light on the game’s waning moments with some powerful hitting. His century comprised five sixes and five fours, and he finished with a score of 100 before van Meereken and he were bowled in quick succession by van Beek.