WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids got their 2018 Vitality Blast campaign off to a fine start with a five-wicket victory over Lancashire Lightning at Emirates Old Trafford.

Needing 189 to take the points, Rapids won with only one ball to spare when Ed Barnard cover-drove Jordan Clark for four.

However, the victory was particularly sweet for Rapids’ skipper Brett D’Oliveira who made 37 not out off 23 balls and whose 67 run-stand with Ross Whiteley did as much as anything to win the game.

Whiteley was caught by Arron Lilley for 28 in the last over to raise home side’s hopes but Barnard’s fearless blow settled matters.

Worcestershire’s innings had got off to an excellent start, 70 runs being scored in the six powerplay overs, 20 more than Lancashire had managed in the same period.

The only wicket to fall was that of Martin Guptill for 19, caught at mid-on by Clark off Joe Mennie, but Joe Clarke was given a life by Stephen Parry at mid-on when he had made 11 and later another by Mennie at backward point on 40.

That cost only two runs as the Worcestershire opener was bowled reverse sweeping Faulkner when he had made a fine 42 off 24 balls.

Lancashire’s hopes were further boosted when Callum Ferguson was caught in the deep by Clark off Parry for a 21-ball 35 and yet again when Clark bowled Ben Cox for 19.

Rapids needed 64 runs off the last six overs and were grateful when D’Oliveira took 15 runs off Mennie’s next six deliveries.

The runs required for victory had been reduced to 43 off the last four overs and Worcestershire’s victory seemed far more probable when 15 came off the 18th bowled by Parkinson when Steven Croft dropped D’Oliveira at deep mid-wicket on 32.

Whiteley’s six in the next over almost saw the visitors home and seven runs were needed off the final six balls of the innings which were bowled by Clark, the only Lancashire bowler to take more than one wicket.

Much earlier in the evening, Lancashire’s innings began quietly as Liam Livingstone and Alex Davies scored only 24 runs off the first four overs before Livingstone whacked four leg-side sixes in the next couple of overs, two of them off successive balls from Pat Brown.

However, Lancashire’s skipper was caught at deep square leg by Barnard off Daryl Mitchell for 35 when attempting to hit a fifth maximum.

Worcestershire’s talisman then caught Davies at long-on three balls later when the Lightning opener chanced his arm against D’Oliveira’s first ball of the innings.

Davies’ departure for 20 brought two new batsmen together and Lilley’s third-wicket stand with Keaton Jennings began in circumspect fashion.

But the pair still brought up their side’s hundred in the 13th over only for Lilley to be caught at long-on by Brown off the spin of George Rhodes when that mark had been reached.

Dane Vilas put on 28 in only 2.3 overs with Jennings before becoming the fourth batsman caught in the deep when he smacked Rhodes to Guptill and departed for a nine-ball 16.

Jennings, meanwhile, reached his fifty off 32 balls having hit three fours and two sixes.

But the England opener lost his middle stump to the next ball he received, thereby becoming Luke Wood’s first wicket for Worcestershire since his loan move from Nottinghamshire.

James Faulkner could make only four on his return to Lancashire but Clark and Croft ensured the home side reached what seemed to be a defendable 188-6 off their 20 overs with Clark making 25 not out off 13 balls.

The most successful Worcestershire bowler was Rhodes who took 2-27. The most economical was Mitchell who conceded 24 runs from his three overs.

Skipper D’Oliveira said: “I can’t fault the lads. I thought they were excellent throughout the game.

"It was a great batting wicket and our young bowlers stuck to their plans really well.

"They had a powerful bating line-up and it was one of our plans to keep them quiet at the start.

"It doesn’t always go to plan but fortunately this time it did.

"I was happy at the mid-point of the game. It was a good pitch and I knew that if we batted well we had a chance of chasing that total down and fortunately we managed to do that. Wobbles happen in T20 cricket but we had to keep going.

"Lancashire dropped four catches but that’s part of the game and I’m sure we’ll be on the receiving end at some point.”

Rapids host local rivals Birmingham Bears on Friday (5.30pm).