Fateh Singh starred with four wickets and a run-a-ball 45 as Nottinghamshire U18s beat Worcestershire by 52 runs at a sun-baked Lady Bay Sports Ground on Bank Holiday Sunday.
Batting first, Notts shared the runs throughout the order with half-centuries for the in-form Travis Holland, Qundeel Haider and George Park as the Green and Golds compiled 273 off their 50 overs.
Sam King and Ben Panter then steamed through the Pears’ top order to reduce Worcestershire to 97 for six before a late rally was halted by Singh rolling through the late middle order.
Holland and Ben Martindale put on 77 for the first wicket having elected to bat first in positively tropical conditions.
The former, who has now scored 709 runs across ten innings this season, fell in the thirteenth over, caught at mid-on by Ben Parker off the bowling of Reece Evitts having blistered 55 off 48 deliveries.
Haider picked up where Holland left off, though, and despite losing Martindale (24), bowled by Evitts, and Ben Willcox (17), bowled by Parker, the number three batted steadily as Notts approached the half-way stage in their innings.
Sam King and Lucas Stentiford both fell cheaply bringing Singh to the crease before Haider was eventually caught by Cameron Jones off the bowling of Oliver Davidson for 51 to leave Notts 170-6 with 13.3 overs left, but Park capitalised on the remaining time with Singh, the former bludgeoning a trio of sixes as the home side surpassed 200 and pressed on.
Singh hit two maximums and four fours of his own by the time he was caught short of his ground with five overs left, but Park brought up his fifty and Notts’ 270 with Ben Panter in the final over before being bowled.
Holland turned his form with the bat to success with the ball to snare Nottinghamshire’s opening wicket as they went in hunt of a reply, that of Rehaan Edavalath caught by wicket keeper Dan Frost for 15.
Wickets then fell with regularity for the away side courtesy of King and Panter, who took two each. Top wicket taker Singh joined the action with a wicket of his own when Josh Baker edged through to Frost before Ajay Shingedria (21) and Oliver Davidson (44) provided resistance.
Yet, the spinner was to have the last laugh when he bowled both Worcestershire batsmen and then trapped Jones leg-before, to claim his 19th wicket of the season.
With one wicket required for victory, Martindale dealt the final blow by running out Suhayl Iqbal for a run-a-ball 30, sealing a resounding victory for the Green and Golds ahead of their next clash against Norfolk on June 6.