LONDON: England’s out-of-favour all-rounder Moeen Ali struck an unbeaten century for Worcestershire, in their T20 Blast quarter-final win against Sussex on Friday.
Moeen, who was dropped from England’s Test squad after the opening Ashes Test at Edgbaston, slammed 121 not out off just 60 balls, hitting eight fours and 11 sixes in Worcestershire’s successful chase of 185.
Capitalising on an early dropped catch when he was on 5, Moeen reached his century, his second in T20s, in 50 balls, and finished off the chase with a six off Ollie Robinson.
The knock was an extension of Moeen’s imperious form in the shortest format. His last four scores at the T20 Blast now read 85 not out, 23, 51 and 121 not out.
It’s quite the contrast to his red-ball form, underpinned by just one fifty in his last 16 Test innings. The last of his five Test centuries came way back in December 2016. Captaining the side, Moeen walked in at No.3 to face the fourth ball of the chase, after opener Joe Leach was removed by Reece Topley, with the score on 2.
He gathered support from Riki Wessels, who played the ideal foil with a 46-ball 47, as Worcestershire hunted down the target inside 18 overs. The 177-run stand laid the base for an eight-wicket win, which sealed them a spot for Finals Day.