Worcestershire v New Zealanders

At Worcester, May 14-17 (not first-class).New Zealanders won by 15 runs.‡New Zealanders 261-9 dec(71.4 overs) (H. D. Rutherford 75) and 275-9 dec (72 overs) (M. J. Guptill 150; S. H.Choudhry 5-78);Worcestershire 291-7 dec (94 overs) (R. A. Whiteley 103*) and 230(47.2 overs) (T. Kohler-Cadmore 55; M. J. Henry 3-58, M. D. Craig 4-56).County debut:E. G. Barnard.Worcestershire chose from 15 players, and the New Zealanders 14. Worcestershire, needing 55 with seven wickets and 16 overs in hand, collapsed to hand victory to a shape-shifting New Zealand team.After they had set Worcestershire 246 in 50 overs, their well-drilled bowling and close catching came to the fore. Perhaps the result would have been different had Moeen Ali not departed on the third evening to join up with England at Lord's. After a first-day washout, Hamish Rutherford,propped up the tourists' batting, and it took a stand of 70 for the ninth wicket between DougBracewell and Neil Wagner to steer them past 250. But their seamers soon had Worcestershire 130-6, before No. 7 Ross Whiteley countered with his first century for the county. Corey Anderson was able to get a few overs under his belt on the third day, having waited to receive clearance to play from Mumbai Indians, his IPL franchise. Martin Guptill, who missed the game at Taunton owing to a side strain picked up with Derbyshire, dominated the second innings with 150 from 210 balls - enough to secure a Test recall ahead of Rutherford.