Moeen plays his part as Worcestershire blast to victory at Edgbaston

Moeen plays his part as Worcestershire blast to victory at Edgbaston

Moeen Ali led underdogs Worcestershire to glory on their first appearance at Vitality Blast Finals Day, with Ben Cox and Pat Brown sharing the spotlight in a rousing win over Sussex at a sold-out Edgbaston.

Moeen began the day in the headlines after claims he was called “Osama” by an unnamed Australian player and ended it in ecstasy after captaining his county to a famous five-wicket victory.

The England all-rounder hit a vital 41 as well as taking three important wickets in the final, but the plaudits go equally to Brown, for a stunningly effective spell of four overs for 15 runs, and Cox who stood tall at the close with a match-winning 46 not out.

Worcestershire Rapids v Lancashire Lightning – Vitality T20 Blast – Semi Final – Edgbaston
Moeen Ali had a productive day at Edgbaston (Anthony Devlin/PA)

All three of Worcestershire’s stars had already turned in fine shows in the semi-final defeat of Lancashire, Cox with an unbeaten half-century that gave a hint of things to come.

Sussex had set an under-powered 157 for six but banked on their all-star attack taking care of business.

Worcestershire Rapids v Sussex Sharks – Vitality T20 Blast – Final – Edgbaston
Ben Cox impressed with the bat in both games (Anthony Devlin/PA)

After a wicketless powerplay Sussex needed results from spinners Danny Briggs and Will Beer.

The former started inauspiciously, flogged for six by Moeen, but the turning ball soon began to take effect.

Worcestershire Rapids v Sussex Sharks – Vitality T20 Blast – Final – Edgbaston
Will Beer celebrates taking the wicket of Worcestershire’s Tom Fell (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Moeen was the key but he departed long before the job was done, punching Beer to long-off.

The Pears needed 49 for five overs, 42 from four and 31 from three but all the while Cox was positioning himself.

Worcestershire Rapids v Sussex Sharks – Vitality T20 Blast – Final – Edgbaston
Jofra Archer paid for a poor over (Anthony Devlin/PA)

Sussex had posted the highest score of the day in their semi-final win over Somerset – 202 – but had to settle for 45 fewer against well-drilled Worcestershire unit.

Nineteen-year-old Brown, already buoyed by his four for 21 in the semi, was the difference-maker.

His four-overs, split between the powerplay and the death, cost a miserly 15 runs as batsmen queued up to be bamboozled by his ‘knuckle ball’ and regular shifts in pace.

In all he banked 13 dot balls and leaked a solitary boundary. Moeen also performed a crucial role through the middle, taking three for 30.

Having already picked off his England colleague Jos Buttler in game one, Moeen’s attacking lines and nerveless demeanour again paid dividends as he picked off the dangerous trio of Luke Wright, Delray Rawlins and David Wiese.

Worcestershire Rapids v Sussex Sharks – Vitality T20 Blast – Final – Edgbaston
Luke Wright hit the biggest score in finals day history, 92 (Anthony Devlin/PA)

The Blast’s leading run-scorer Laurie Evans provided the backbone of the total, carving out a measured 52 from 44 balls before losing his cool – and his bails – with an ill-conceived lap sweep at Ed Barnard.

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