LONDON, Aug 30: Gloucestershire gave departing coach John Bracewell the perfect send-off, annihilating Worcestershire by seven wickets in the Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy final at Lord’s on Saturday.

Worcestershire, put in, collapsed from 64 without loss to 149 all out in 46.3 of their 50 overs before Gloucestershire, inspired by Ian Harvey, raced to their target with just under 30 overs to spare.

The Australia allrounder took two top-order wickets with his clever medium pace before hammering 61 from 36 deliveries off an attack boasting England’s Kabir Ali and Nantie Hayward and Andrew Hall of South Africa.

Hall’s three overs cost 33. When off spinner Gareth Batty came on, Harvey hit him for five fours off his first six balls before being stumped. Harvey appeared to have been caught behind off the same delivery.

Gloucestershire have won six one-day trophies, including a treble three years ago, since Bracewell arrived in 1998. The former New Zealand spinner takes over as New Zealand coach next month.

Worcestershire, put in, had made a good start by reaching 50 without loss in the 14th over.

But two needless run-outs and some tight, inventive bowling by Harvey — he dismissed opener Anurag Singh and number three Graeme Hick for a four-ball duck — sparked a collapse in which six wickets fell for 35.

Three more batsmen departed for three runs before Hayward was last out, caught off a leg-side slog. Harvey ended with two for 37 off 10 overs.

Gloucestershire immediately made a nonsense of the target, losing Craig Spearman early before racing to 76 for one after 10 overs. Jonty Rhodes, yet another South African, was seven not out at the end.

Worcestershire were playing in their first Lord’s final since 1994.—Reuters