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Fixture: Worcestershire Rapids vs Durham (North Group)
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Tournament: Vitality Blast 2025
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Venue: New Road, Worcester
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Date & Time (India): Wednesday, 18 June 2025 at 22:00 IST
Preview & Key Stats
Worcestershire Rapids
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Currently 3 wins, 4 losses, sitting mid-table in the North group .
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Recent batting: aggressive start but failing to capitalise; assistant coach Kadeer Ali lamented a “strong start but we couldn’t build on 87/3”
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Watch out for Gareth Roderick, whose 49 off 29 in their last match showed potency at the top
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Overseas boost includes Tom Latham and Hasan Ali
Durham
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Form has improved: 4 wins in 6, level on points with top group teams
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Key players according to ECB: Graham Clark, skipper Alex Lees, all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, and spinner Callum Parkinson, noting Parkinson’s 18 wickets last season
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Spinner Nathan Sowter could be a game-changer: 43 Blast wickets over last two seasons
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England Test and T20 bowler Matthew Potts adds cutting-edge pace
Head-to-Head
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In the last 10 meetings, Durham have 6 wins to Worcestershire’s 3
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Historically, Worcestershire average ~200 scoring first, Durham ~196—battles of slim margins
Match Dynamics
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Worcester surface is typically batting-friendly—targets nearing 180 possible.
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Durham’s in-form spinners (Parkinson, Sowter) may leverage middle overs.
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Roderick’s strong starts may set platform; they’ll need to accelerate against Durham’s bowling depth (Potts, Sowter).
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Durham’s batting depth (Clark, Lees, Neesham) vs Worcestershire’s seam options (Ali, Latham).
Prediction
Durham’s momentum and richer bowling variety give them the upper hand. Expect a 6-wicket win for Durham, chasing around 165–175 comfortably.
Dream11 Picks
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Wicketkeeper: Gareth Roderick (Wo) – strong recent form
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Top-order batsmen: Graham Clark, Alex Lees (Du), Tom Latham (Wo)
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All-rounders: Jimmy Neesham (Du), Callum Parkinson (Du)
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Bowlers: Matthew Potts, Nathan Sowter (Du), Hasan Ali (Wo)
