Mitchell Santner plays key role as Worcestershire cruise to victory with 2.2 overs to spare

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2023Jos Buttler hit his highest Vitality Blast score of the summer but it proved in vain as Lancashire Lightning crashed to a seven-wicket setback against Worcestershire Rapids at New Road.England’s white-ball captain rescued his side from 38 for 4 by smashing 74 off 54 balls with two sixes and five fours. He clearly has a liking for the Rapids attack as his only other fifty in the competition this summer came against them at Blackpool.But Lightning were restricted to 164 for 8 with former England T20 player Pat Brown claiming three more wickets to take his tally for the campaign to 19. He received excellent support from Mitchell Santner and the New Zealand allrounder then clubbed his way to 49 off 27 balls as Worcestershire triumphed with 14 balls to spare.Jack Haynes showed his class in helping Santner add 81 in eight overs and he then pressed his foot on the accelerator in making a decisive 63 from 43 balls.The Rapids have now moved level on 12 points with Lancashire and they have a game in hand.Lancashire skipper Liam Livingstone opted to bat after the toss but his side ran into early trouble. Phil Salt smashed the second ball of the innings from Dillon Pennington over the midwicket boundary but it was his only scoring stroke. He went for another legside hit later in the over and skied a catch to Usama Mir at cover.Santner shared the new ball and also made a breakthrough as Luke Wells attempted a reverse sweep and was lbw. Pennington failed to hold onto a return catch from Dane Vilas but it did not prove a costly miss as Pat Brown struck twice in the final over of the powerplay.Vilas pulled Brown straight into the hands of midwicket and the next delivery accounted for Daryl Mitchell as he nicked a ball of extra bounce through to keeper Ben Cox.Lancashire were perched uneasily on 38 for 4 but Buttler and Rob Jones batted sensibly to lead a recovery. At first they were content to work the ball around against the Rapids spinners but gradually accelerated.Butler followed up his half-century in Lancashire’s win over Worcestershire at Southport by completing a 40-ball fifty with his fifth boundary, a delightful late cut at Brown’s expense.Jones opened his shoulder to clear the long off boundary against Brett D’Oliveira. But Santner broke a 98-run stand when Jones attempted a reverse sweep and only found the hands of Ed Pollock on the cover boundary.Josh Tongue then dismissed Buttler and Livingstone in an action-packed penultimate over. Butler’s fine knock ended on 74 when he holed out to cover and then Livingstone, who surprisingly held himself back until there were only 10 balls remaining, smashed his opening two deliveries for maximums.After a no-ball, Livingstone carved the third legitimate ball he faced to cover. And there was time for Brown to pick up his third wicket as Luke Wood found long-on.Jones held onto a diving catch at cover to dismiss D’Oliveira in Jack Blatherwick’s first over but Santner and Haynes took the game away from the Lightning during a stand of 81 in eight overs.Santner was particularly aggressive, striking Livingstone and Wells for maximums and there were also five fours in his 49 before he backed away to try and cut Wood and only feathered through to Buttler.Haynes then took over the mantle of chief aggressor and a regal cover drive off Tom Hartley enabled him to complete his half century. With Adam Hose also in good nick, the Rapids were on the verge of victory when Haynes holed out to backward square leg of Blatherwick.