Cricket / NatWest trophy: Plumb delays the inevitable

Worcestershire 309-8; Norfolk 172. Worcestershire win by 137 runs

ALTHOUGH there was a strong sense of the inevitable about the decisive manner of Worcestershire's victory over Norfolk here, the minor county fought with spirit and were by no means disgraced, even though the target of 310 was way beyond them.

The main resistance was led by Steve Plumb, who has captained both Norfolk and the Minor Counties' representative side. He made 57 and was three runs short of the highest score made by a Norfolk batsman in this competition against a first-class side, back in 1965.

After Carl Rogers had been lbw pushing half forward to Tom Moody in the first over of the day, the two former Derbyshire players, Roger Finney and Steve Goldsmith, joined forces but neither was able to get going. Finney was out to a fine low, one-handed return catch by Moody and soon afterwards Goldsmith hooked straight to midwicket.

Plumb, who is strong off his legs, found a good partner in his captain, David Thomas, before the latter was bowled swinging across. Carl Amos then gave a glimpse of a most promising talent when he played a lovely off-drive against Richard Illingworth. But he was also out trying to force the pace and the end came soon after lunch.

There was a reasonable crowd on the second day and the weather was better, but it did nothing to improve the appearance of the two super-inflated balloons which house a number of indoor tennis courts just behind the boundary on the wooded side of the ground. They no doubt produce an excellent income, but are hardly noble structures.