KIDDERMINSTER – Ex-West Indies fast bowler Ravi Rampaul took his season tally to 36 after picking up four second innings wickets to help bowl Derbyshire to a convincing 82-run victory over Worcestershire at Chester Road in England on Wednesday.
Resuming the final day at Chester Road on 156 for five in pursuit of a challenging 373 for victory, Worcestershire folded for 290, despite Australian Callum Ferguson’s defiant 127.
The 34-year-old Rampaul, who played 18 Tests and 92 One-Day Internationals, picked up two of the five wickets to fall to end with four for 64 while his new-ball partner Tony Palladino snatched two to finish with three for 34.
Seamer Fynn Hudson-Prentice picked up the key wicket of Ferguson to go with his two earlier on day three and end with three for 42.
Hudson-Prentice’s burst on Tuesday had reduced Worcestershire to 48 for five before Ferguson and wicketkeeper Ben Cox (62) put on 164 for the sixth wicket to raise hopes of a positive outcome.
Ferguson, batting at number three, struck 20 fours off 288 balls in just over six hours while Cox faced 168 balls and struck nine fours in just under 3-1/2 hours at the crease.
Rampaul struck in his first over of the day on Wednesday when he bowled Cox as Worcestershire made it to lunch on 245 for six, with Ferguson unbeaten on 126.
Hudson-Prentice then trapped Ferguson lbw shortly after the resumption to put Derbyshire on top but Brett D’Oliveira (30) and Joe Leach (28) added 36 for the eighth wicket to delay the inevitable.
Once the partnership was broken when Palladino struck D’Oliveira in front, Worcestershire lost their last three wickets for five runs.
The match featured low-scoring first innings, with Derbyshire falling for 108 and Worcestershire managing only to gain a five-run lead.
CMC