RAPIDS youngster Pat Brown has been praised for his ‘international standard’ performances in the Vitality Blast by skipper Moeen Ali.
Head coach Kevin Sharp revealed the England all-rounder had made that observation to the players in the dressing room after Friday’s victory over Birmingham Bears clinched a home quarter-final with Gloucestershire on Saturday (3pm).
Brown picked up two more wickets to take his tally for the Blast campaign to 27 and bowled a superb final over in which he conceded only four runs.
Sharp said after the Rapids’ 15-run win: “Moeen has just had a chat in the dressing room as captain and said a few words and he congratulated Browny on his performances.
“He has actually said in front of the group ‘that’s of international standard, that type of bowling’.
“For a young man who has not played that much cricket, to see his growth and development and the confidence he has got to bowl those alternative deliveries is a pleasure to see.
“It’s a credit to the club’s structure in giving young players the opportunity to do that.
“He has got some great variations, great changes of pace and he disguises it well and the batters have struggled with him.
“There was a game where he went for a few runs at Leicester but it has not happened often – and it will in T20.
“Every bowler at some point will suffer in a competition like this. He’s got 27 wickets. I hope he gets another five at the weekend. That would be very useful.”
Brown’s splendid efforts with the ball means he is Worcestershire Rapids’ highest placed player in the PCA Most Valuable Player Rankings for the Vitality Blast.
Brown has ended the group stages in the T20 competition as the leading wicket-taker in the country with 27 victims.
His haul is five more than nearest challenger – Durham’s Nathan Rimmington.
It has earned Brown, who celebrates his 20th birthday tomorrow (Thursday), 121.40 points in the PCA rankings at an average of 9.34 per game and placed him in 18th position.
Moeen Ali and Joe Clarke are the other Rapids players in the top 50.
