Cricket:Ireland spoiled the party for Worcestershire as Peter Connell bowled a one-day best five for 19 to secure a shock 94-run victory at New Road today and ended the hosts hopes of qualifying for the Friends Provident Trophy quarter-finals.
The 27-year-old paceman was in devastating form for Ireland to stop the Royals from collecting a win which would have earned them a home tie in the last eight.
Needing 153 to finish top of Group A, they were skittled out for a disastrous 58 in 20.3 overs.
It was Worcestershire’s lowest score in one-day cricket, their previous worst in the Trophy being 98 against Durham at Chester-le-Street in 1968.
Ireland, who are bottom of the table, exacted revenge after they lost by 52 runs when they hosted Worcestershire in Belfast last month. Phil Simmons’ side had never previously bowled out a county side for less than a hundred.
After being put in the visitors lost half their side for just 52 before being bowled out for 152 in 48.5 overs following a battling half-century stand between Trent Johnston and Kyle McCallan.
Worcestershire’s most productive bowler was Chris Whelan who claimed three for 22.
It was his fellow pace bowler Matt Mason, however, who pushed Ireland onto the slippery slope by striking in successive overs to remove Jeremy Bray and Alex Cusack.
Paul Stirling then edged Whelan to wicketkeeper Steve Davies, who soon followed up by stumping Kevin O’Brien off spinner Ian Fisher.
Whelan then pounced again by having Andrew White caught two-handed at deep square leg by the diving Alex Kervezee, who was called up for his Worcestershire one-day debut in place of knee injury victim Ben Smith.
Matters got worse for Ireland when Ashley Noffke ran out Andrew Poynter before Worcestershire’s healthy progress was held up by defiant Johnston and McCallam who put on 57 in 14 overs.
Their partnership eventually ended when Daryl Mitchell had Johnston comfortably caught at long-on by Mason for 39 which contained four fours off 63 balls.
Whelan, Noffke and Mitchell shared the last three wickets with McCallan finally falling for 40 which included four fours off 60 balls.
Worcestershire’s problems soon began when their chase plunged to 21 for six, with Ireland hero Connell grabbing five wickets for a mere three runs in 14 balls.
He began in sensational style by ripping out Solanki, Stephen Moore and Moeen Ali first ball before Kevin O’Brien stepped up the pressure by trapping Kervezee lbw.
There was no let up with Connell as he quickly ousted Davies and Gareth Batty before Mitchell and Noffke tried to repair the damage with a 29-run stand in 10 overs before Noffke hit Johnston straight to Cusack at square leg.
Cusack then dismissed Whelan and Fisher before Mason was last out to leave Mitchell unbeaten on 15, his embarrassed side’s highest score.