Worcester's sharp start in NatWest Trophy replay

The war of words behind them Worcestershire settled quickly to the task of proving themselves to be the better team when their replayed NatWest Trophy third-round match began at New Road. Within 16 overs the visitors had stumbled to 43-3 with Rob Cunliffe, Jack Russell and Kim Barnett out.

In his opening over Glenn McGrath, given his International Cricketer of the Year award in London the previous evening, trapped Cunliffe in front before the scorers had been troubled. He was supported well by some tidy bowling from Duncan Catterall. For Gloucestershire much now depended on the experience Barnett and his did disappoint Worcestershire had won the initial contest by three wickets but the England as he took boundaries from both bowlers.

A double-bowling change worked wonders for the home side. Russell (8), who had benefited from a snicked boundary between the slips, was Stuart Lampitt at 41 in the 13th over. Two runs later Barnett (26 from 44 balls) cut a ball from Leatherdale into Graeme Hick's hands after almost doing the same thing the ball before. At this stage Worcestershire seemed to be the more fired up by the ECB ruling that this match, in which they had beaten Gloucestershire earlier, had to be replayed because they had included an ineligible player in 19 year-old quick bowler Kabir Ali.

Mark Alleyne's continued absence through an back-injury led to Jack Russell acting as Gloucestershire's captain, and for their hosts spinner Richard Illingworth had not recovered fully from the thigh problem sustained in the weekend's National League game against Leicestershire.