Maddy shows what he can still do
Darren Maddy stole the show with a thunderous display to take Warwickshire home in a tough run chase
12-Jul-2013
Warwickshire 189 for 3 (Maddy 84*, Chopra 65) beat Worcestershire 188 for 5 (Moeen 85, Russell 47*) by seven wickets
Scorecard
Scorecard
Varun Chopra completed a match-winning double for the week as Warwickshire finally registered their first Friends Life t20 victory of the summer as they beat Worcestershire by seven wickets at New Road.
Captaining the side in the absence of the injured Jim Troughton, Chopra made 65 from 52 balls in an impressive follow-up to his double century in overcoming Middlesex in the LV= County Championship at Uxbridge.
Facing a Worcestershire total of 188 for 5 - built around by Moeen Ali's 85 against his former county - Warwickshire got home with an over to spare as veteran Darren Maddy managed to outshine Chopra.
The 39-year-old all-rounder, who retires at the end of the season, turned the clock back to his early career with Leicestershire in racing to an unbeaten 84 from 42 balls. He hit nine fours and three sixes, one of which hit a woman spectator on the head.
Yet it could have been different but for a let-off when Chopra was on 10, wicketkeeper Ben Cox missing a clear opportunity to run him out when failing to knock off the bails. The cost mounted as the third pair put on 119 in 12 overs, a Warwickshire record for any wicket in the competition, before Chopra was caught at backward squad leg.
The result was tough on Moeen after a superb knock, including nine fours and four sixes in front of a sell-out crowd of 4,200. He faced 42 balls in scooting to a competition-best score and was denied another six only when Laurie Evans pulled down an overhead chance at long-off.
Even with Moeen gone, Worcestershire took 59 from the final five overs, largely the work of Andre Russell, the big-hitting West Indian dashing to an unbeaten 47 from 21 deliveries.
Russell crashed five fours and three sixes in his best innings since joining the county for the tournament and in the field he gave his side an early boost when holding a superb running catch from William Porterfield.
But Worcestershire could not contain the irrepressible Maddy and Chris Woakes finished the job with six fours in an unbeaten 28 from nine balls. The last 20 runs were cleared off in an over from Jack Shantry.