New Zealand 126 for 3 (Bowes 35, Phillips 32*, Seifert 30) beat Worcestershire 124 (O Cox 63, Ferguson 3-11, Ravindra 3-15, Jamieson 3-28) by seven wickets
New Zealand launched their warm-up programme for the four-match T20I Series with England by defeating Worcestershire by seven wickets at a sold out New Road.
The Black Caps fielded six of the squad who will be in contention for the opening T20I at Chester-le-Street on Wednesday and two of them in Kyle Jamieson and Lockie Ferguson, who captained the side, picked up three wickets apiece.
Then two more of them in Tim Seifert (30) and Glenn Phillips (32 not out) demonstrated their power with the bat as New Zealand raced to victory in just 12 overs.
New Zealand will now take on Gloucestershire at Bristol on Sunday before turning their full attention to the T20I series.
Worcestershire rested several players with one eye on Sunday's Metro Bank One Day Cup quarter-final with Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl. But rookie professional Olly Cox demonstrated his potential with a 31-ball half-century for the Rapids to thrill the 4,500 crowd.
Olly Cox is playing beautifully pic.twitter.com/XZQRJDVu1b
— Worcestershire Rapids (@WorcsCCC) August 25, 2023
He scored more than half of his side's runs and went onto make 63 from 36 deliveries with one six and 11 fours. Academy player Harry Darley also had a debut to remember for the Rapids with two wickets.
Ed Pollock captained the Rapids who were put into bat and Cox was quickly into his stride, slicing Jamieson over point for the first boundary and flicking Ben Lister off his legs for four.
Kashif Ali had finished as the leading six-hitter in the One Day Cup group stages with 21, but he and Rob Jones fell in the space of three balls to Rachin Ravindra.
Ravindra had Kashif caught at short third and Jones attempted a reverse-sweep and found point for a duck.
Cox greeted Jamieson's return with three boundaries in an over but in the same over, his namesake Ben attempted a scoop shot and was caught behind.
Cole McConchie was driven for a straight six by Olly Cox who completed his half-century. His fine knock eventually ended when he drilled McConchie to long on but he left the outfield to a standing ovation from the Worcestershire members.
Pollock (8) could only pick out deep mid wicket off Jamieson and Taylor Cornall (8) attempted to cut a widish delivery from Ferguson and feathered through to the keeper.
Ravindra returned to have Josh Baker pouched at long-on and Jamieson held a return catch from Ben Gibbon (1), while Ferguson wrapped up the innings by having Mitchell Stanley (1) caught down the legside and Pat Brown (1) caught at deep fine leg on the scoop
Seifert looked as if he intended to win the game on his own as he clubbed Mitchell Stanley for two enormous sixes before he tried to sweep Josh Baker and was bowled behind his legs. Chad Bowes also looked in good touch before he holed out to backward square off Darley.
Darley had more success when Ravindra top-edged a pull and provided simple catch for Ben Cox. But Phillips ensured the game ended in double quick time before the heavens opened.
