Pakistan Test seamer Khurram Shahzad bowled Worcestershire to a dominant victory over Somerset in the 2025 One-Day Cup semi-final at New Road, Worcester, on Sunday (August 31).
Defending a DLS-adjusted target of 273 in 38 overs, Shahzad gave Worcestershire the perfect start by dismissing opener Tom Lammonby for nine off 14 balls. Just as Archie Vaughan and No. 3 Lewis Goldsworthy seemed to be settling the innings after the early breakthrough, taking the team to 46 in the ninth over, the relentless Shahzad struck again to dismiss Goldsworthy for 10.
The floodgates then opened, with Shahzad dismissing Vaughan for 23 in the space of four balls, followed by Thomas Rew’s wicket for a duck in his next over. Matthew Waite removed Joshua Thomas for six, leaving Somerset stumbling at 67-5; Shahzad had accounted for four of the top five wickets.
The ever-reliable Rob at first! 👏 https://t.co/tAC5CNXrhh pic.twitter.com/Cv25zXfF9S
— Worcestershire CCC (@WorcsCCC) August 31, 2025
The visitors never recovered from the collapse and were skittled out for 141 in 29.2 overs. Captain James Rew (47) was the last wicket to fall, courtesy of Ethan Brookes, who took 3-16 from 2.2 overs to complement Shahzad’s excellent figures of 4-36 from seven overs, which included two maidens.
Earlier in the match, Worcestershire made 275-9 in 50 overs, with opener Daniel Lategan (78) top scoring.
1st Semi-Final, Worcestershire vs Somerset
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Khurram Shahzad picks up career-best One-Day Cup figures
Khurram's 4-36 are his best-ever figures in the One-Day Cup, beating his previous record of 3-49 against Derbyshire earlier in the season.
With 12 wickets at an average of 28.75 and an economy rate of 5.73, he is currently Worcestershire’s joint-second-highest wicket-taker, alongside Brookes. Shahzad also played two County Championship matches in July, picking up 6-42 on debut against Warwickshire. Additionally, his seven wickets in five T20 Blast matches this year have come at an average of 21.85 and an economy rate of 8.12.
In the other semi-final, Hampshire defeated Yorkshire by 18 runs in another rain-affected match. Batting first, they made 304-6, thanks to Liam Dawson’s career-best List A score of 142. Chasing a DLS-revised target of 254 in 41 overs, Yorkshire fell 18 runs short despite another hundred from Imam-ul-Haq.
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