Second XI

ALEXEI Kervezee led the way for Worcestershire to avenge their Second XI Trophy exit at the hands of Nottinghamshire, as they beat the same side by seven wickets inside two days in their Championship encounter on Wednesday.

The former Dutch international had previously taken only one Second XI Championship wicket – seven years ago against Lancashire – but his offspin produced an astonishing return of 7-61 off 22.5 overs.

That followed on from Jack Shantry’s 7-39 in the Notts’ first innings as they were dismissed for 96, and the visitors never looked like getting back into the clash.

Will Fraine made 87 as Worcs looked to mount a big lead, but there was some backlash from Notts with the final six wickets lost for just 13 runs in their score of 208 – Sam Wood taking 5-8.

But after Wood and Jake Libby put on 91 for the first wicket in reply, Kervezee came to the fore and Worcs were left just a 102-run target which Fraine (31) and Kervezee (38) helped to knock off in 14 overs.

Notts had got the better of their opponents on Monday in a rain-affected Trophy match at New Road.

In reply to their 229-9 in 50 overs, the hosts were on 134-6 from 25.2 in reply when the heavens opened and no more play was possible.

That resulted in a 24-run win for Notts under the Duckworth-Lewis method – but Worcs will feel hard done by having been in front of the rate for most of the innings, only to lose Kervezee (39) and Nick Hammond (21) just before the rain.