Riki Wessels records fastest fifty in the ongoing Natwest T20 Blast

The Worcestershire bowlers were at the receiving end of a blistering innings from Riki Wessels. Wessels scored a 35-ball 80 and made the chase look damn easy on Saturday. He brought up his 50 off just 17 balls.

A day before this match, Worcestershire bowlers were taken apart by Jos Buttler. Buttler brought up his half-century off just 20 balls despite batting with an injured left thumb.

If the bowlers were to be blamed for Friday’s match, as they failed to defend 198. It was the batsmen who let them down this time around. A score of 124 was never going to challenge Nottinghamshire batsmen on a batsman-friendly wicket.

Being set a score of 125 to win, Notts reached their target in only 12.2 overs with Wessels coming out with all his cylinders firing. By the end of it, he hit six fours and seven sixes in the brutal knock.

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Apart from Wessels, the bowlers also did their job in restricting the visitors to a small total. The visitors will have to blame themselves for giving away wickets cheaply.

Worcestershire had never been in a good position in the match. Hopes of restricting the home side went away as the openers – Riki Wessels and Michael Lumb got them off to a flying start. Lumb was dismissed relatively early for 14, but the no.3 batsman, Greg Smith, played the perfect support to Riki from the other end.

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Smith played well for his 27-ball 32. He made sure Wessels was at the striker’s end often. It gave him the opportunity to have a go at the opposition bowlers. With their second victory, Nottinghamshire have now moved up to the second spot in the North Group table in the Natwest T20 Blast.