The crowd was a bit thin and the rain was a bit too frequent. At one stage it looked like the final of the men’s Metro Bank Cup would need a second day to throw up a winner, as was the case on this ground 12 months ago.
But in the end a tournament much diluted since the advent of the Hundred produced the kind of storied climax its snazzy new sibling is yet to muster. Worcestershire, set 188 to win in 27 overs, beat Hampshire by three wickets with just two balls to spare to claim their first 50-over title for 31 years.
It was not simply the manner of victory – the rain-reduced target reeled in at 7.12pm despite wickets tumbling – but what it meant to all those involved. Franchises pop up and disappear in a matter of weeks, whereas counties are built on relationships that are forged over months and years.
And in the case of Worcestershire, this has meant overcoming adversity in recent times. And not just cricketing adversity. Beyond the annual floods at New Road, and though forever being at the mercy of counties with far bigger budgets, the Pears have spent the past 16 months coming to terms with something far more significant: the tragic loss of Josh Baker.
A much-loved teammate who died just shy of his 21st birthday, Baker has never been far from thoughts since, with Worcestershire’s shirts now sporting the name of the charity set up in his memory. After lifting the trophy, the captain, Jake Libby, made a point of taking it over to Baker’s parents, Paul and Lisa.
“It’s been a tough couple of years, so it’s brilliant to celebrate an amazing day like this with the supporters,” said Libby. “We speak a lot about Josh in our changing room. He was a special kid and it was devastating what happened.”
The Hampshire players could not begrudge their opponents this win, even if their day ended in galling fashion. Kyle Abbott thought he had caught Henry Cullen in the deep with just four runs required, only to brush the boundary sponge as he landed and before he released the ball. Once the replays confirmed this was a boundary, the Worcestershire balcony positively erupted.
Perhaps there was no stopping the Pears, be it the sense of destiny they took into this final or the form that meant they topped the southern group and then overcame Somerset in the semis. It was a very Worcestershire win, too, one built on collective resourcefulness rather than individual brilliance and very much in the image of their highly respected head coach, Alan Richardson.
That said, Tom Taylor shone with the ball for figures of one for 24 from nine overs, while Ethan Brookes emerging at 93 for three in the run chase and cracking 57 from just 34 balls was clearly the standout. Like a good number of the players in their squad, Brookes has revived his career at New Road after finding himself surplus to requirements at Warwickshire.
“It was all a little bit of a blur but I went out with intent to try and clear the ropes,” said Brookes, having done so four times. “To share such a special memory with Josh’s parents will definitely be a highlight of my career.”
Another to get a second chance at New Road is Matthew Waite, with the Yorkshireman smoking two precious late sixes after earlier claiming three wickets. Among these was Ali Orr via a sharp caught and bowled, the opener walking off after a fine 110 from 130 balls that stuck 237 for seven from 45 overs on the board. On another day, Orr might well have been the story.
The same could be said for Scott Currie, who flew back from England’s tour of Ireland to play in this stop-start final and finished with a maiden List A five-wicket haul for his efforts. When the right-armer removed Libby in the 20th over of the run chase to leave Worcestershire 107 for four – 81 runs still required – the trophy appeared to be heading one way.
Instead, through the audacity of Brookes and Abbott’s tumble on the rope, it ended up in the hands of the Baker family and with a club who, despite their relegation from Division One, do so many things right. The Hundred may get all the attention and the investment but this one meant something.
