WORCESTERSHIRE Rapids went down by 17 runs under the Duckworth Lewis Method after bad light halted their innings in the Natwest T20 Blast quarter-final with Hampshire at New Road.

Umpires Rob Bailey and Tim Robinson took the players off because conditions had, in their opinion, become “dangerous” with the Rapids 58-2 off 8.1 overs in reply to Hampshire’s 196-4 off 20 overs.

Their decision was prompted after Hampshire fielder Chris Wood was hit on the nose trying to catch Ross Whiteley on the deep square leg boundary from a Yasir Arafat delivery At that point the Rapids would have needed to score 75 and so were beaten by 17 runs in front of a capacity 5,000 crowd.

Worcestershire skipper Daryl Mitchell had recovered from his hamstring injury and put Hampshire into bat after the morning and early afternoon rain had cleared away to enable play to start on time.

The visitors innings was dominated by an unbeaten century from skipper James Vince.

Vince finished unbeaten on 107 from 65 balls with three sixes and 13 fours.

He shared in an opening stand of 91 from 10 overs with Michael Carberry before the latter was run out for 42 attempting a second run to Ed Barnard’s throw from deep extra cover. Vince went to his half-century off just 37 balls and added a further 72 in eight overs with Adam Wheater.

For Vince it was his first T20 century and it was compiled with all the authority of a batsman on the back of scoring 125 not out against Warwickshire in the LV= County Championship Division One and 103 against Sussex in the recent Royal London One-Day Cup match.

Wheater made 32 before Barnard took a good running catch on the cover boundary off Joe Leach.

Sean Ervine (2) was run out when Jack Shantry deflected a Vince drive onto the stumps at the non striker’s end.

Vince went to his hundred via a cover drive for four off Shantry in the penultimate over.

Leach claimed his second wicket with the last ball of the innings when Owais Shah (5) was caught behind by Ben Cox.

The Rapids needed a flying start and Moeen Ali collected two early boundaries but on 10 he top edged Chris Wood and keeper Wheater took a good catch running back.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore (9) was then run out by Wood’s direct hit from cover after setting off for a single.

Mitchell had moved confidently onto 20 and Whiteley, with the aid of two successive sixes off Liam Dawson, onto 16 when the players left the field.