Azhar Ali anchors Worcestershire to second straight win
Glamorgan beaten despite Kellaway 82 as Salter announces retirement
ECB Reporters Network04-Aug-2023
Azhar Ali goes over the top of the infield•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Worcestershire Rapids made it two wins out of two in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as their spinners and Pakistan batter Azhar Ali played key roles in the win over Glamorgan at New Road.Josh Baker and Brett D’Oliveira shared five wickets as Glamorgan were bowled out in 40.2 overs in front of a 3,500 crowd despite an excellent knock of 82 on his List A debut by 19-year-old Ben Kellaway.Azhar, who won the competition in 2019 when part of the Somerset side, then made an accomplished 78 to see Rapids, despite a late flurry of dismissals, to a four-wicket victory with 8.3 overs to spare.Worcestershire are looking full of confidence after their run to the quarter-finals in the Vitality Blast and back-to-back wins to fuel their LV=Insurance County Championship promotion challenge. And with only three call-ups to the Hundred, they are looking like a side who could mount a substantial challenge in the 50-over competition.Kellaway’s previous first-team experience was confined to two Vitality Blast appearances this summer but the rookie professional confirmed his promise. He at least gave Glamorgan a total to defend after Baker and D’Oliveira again bowled impressively after sharing six wickets in the opening win over Durham.
Baker is slowly but surely regaining his form and rhythm after a lengthy lay-off with a back problem. D’Oliveira is sometimes reluctant to bowl himself when in the captaincy role but has played a full and effective part with the ball under One-Day skipper Jake Libby.Libby put Glamorgan into bat and opener Tom Bevan survived two lbw shouts in the opening over from Joe Leach. Bevan and Ed Byrom provided a useful platform in accumulating 36 runs from the opening seven overs but then the game swung Worcestershire’s way.Bevan drove loosely at Ben Gibbon and was taken by Azhar at first slip and then Colin Ingram had the misfortune to be run out at the non-striker’s end after Gibbon deflected a straight drive from Byrom onto the stumps.Dillon Pennington bowled a probing spell and was rewarded with a double breakthrough as he continued the form shown in the last two Championship games which yielded 14 wickets.Byrom tried to shoulder arms but only inside-edged a delivery onto the stumps and his next over accounted for Billy Root who was caught behind of a ball which nipped away.Kellaway had one early slice of good fortune when edging Pennington just wide of second slip but otherwise looked composed and reeled off a series of fine strokes in adding 65 in 12 overs with captain Kiran Carlson.But the introduction of Baker and D’Oliveira brought about a decline in Glamorgan’s fortunes as the last six wickets fell for 62 runs in 14.1 overs. Carlson tried to hit D’Oliveira over the top but only found Kashif Ali at long-on and then Alex Horton turned D’Oliveira to midwicket and ventured a few paces out of his crease but failed to beat Libby’s throw to keeper Ben Cox.Kellaway completed a 48-ball half-century with seven boundaries but wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end. Andy Gorvin played back to D’Oliveira and was bowled and Harry Podmore cut Baker into the hands of Matthew Waite at backward point. Jamie McIlroy pushed forward to Baker and was also bowled before Kellaway’s fine knock brought and end to the innings when he lofted D’Oliveira to long-on.D’Oliveira was caught behind off an inside edge after attempting to drive Podmore but then Azhar and new signing Rob Jones featured in the decisive stand of exactly 100 in 20 overs. Jones, on loan from Lancashire before beginning a three-year deal next summer, and Azhar suffered few alarms.Azhar hit Ben Morris for a six over long-off and then leg-glanced the next ball for four to complete the century stand. It came out of the blue when Jones went down the wicket to Carlson and fell to a splendid catch by Bevan at long-on.Azhar’s fine innings ended when he was stumped down the leg side off a wide from Carlson, having struck two sixes and four fours in his 104 ball knock. Kashif and Ben Cox looked as if they wanted to end proceedings in double quick time but both perished to Carlson, at long on and long off respectively, while Waite sliced Gorvin to short third.Glamorgan’s defeat came on the day that Andrew Salter, their long-serving, offspinning allrounder, announced he will retire from professional cricket at the end of the season. Salter, 30, was player of the match when Glamorgan beat Durham to win the Royal London Cup at Trent Bridge two years ago.”Coming to the realisation that my career is drawing to a close, the overriding emotion is one of gratitude,” Salter said in a statement. “Thank you to the fans for creating some unforgettable atmospheres, none more so than the One-Day Cup final in Trent Bridge. I will cherish that moment forever.”