Worcestershire 153 for 4 (Kashif 88) beat Northamptonshire 152 for 9 (Finch 3-28) by six wickets

Kashif Ali struck a commanding 88 off just 46 balls, his highest T20 score, to help steer Worcestershire Rapids to a six-wicket victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road, and keep their qualification hopes alive.

Kashif was in total control, smashing seven fours and six sixes during a third-wicket stand of 127 with Gareth Roderick (36) - the highest for Worcestershire against any opposition in T20 cricket, beating the previous best accumulated by Brett D'Oliveira and Adam Hose against Yorkshire at Worcester just last month.

Ben Sanderson (2 for 24) removed both set batters in the 15th over, but by then Worcestershire were closing in on victory and sent Northamptonshire to their fourth straight defeat.

Earlier Adam Finch ran through Northamptonshire's middle order, claiming three for 28, including two wickets in two balls, as the hosts tried to kick on after a lacklustre start. It came after Tom Taylor snared 2 for 22 on his return to his old club as the Steelbacks lost three wickets for 11 in 15 balls in the powerplay, finishing the first six overs on just 34 for 3.

Northamptonshire had Sanderson to thank for posting a near competitive total, his 27 off 16 balls helping to propel them to 152 for 9.

In Northamptonshire's powerplay, while Ricardo Vasconcelos scooped Khurram Shahzad for six, he failed to middle an attempted pull against Ben Dwarshuis, and instead top-edged, keeper Roderick having plenty of time to judge the catch.

Taylor struck twice in the next over, his third, as first Robinson top-edged Taylor to mid-on as he went to turn one to leg, before the bowler hooped one back in to send Ravi Bopara's off-stump flying. With Dwarshuis conceding just two off his next over, the Steelbacks were well behind the pace.

Northamptonshire skipper David Willey (13) powered consecutive boundaries through extra cover off Khurram to bring up Northamptonshire's 50 but his fightback ended next ball when he chopped onto his stumps, giving Pakistan international Khurram (2 for 40) his first wicket in Worcestershire colours.

Justin Broad (19) played his shots, but he became the fifth wicket when he reached for a wide ball from Fateh Singh and dragged it onto his stumps.

Finch then struck twice in the fifteenth over accounting for Lewis McManus and Saif Zaib in the space of four balls. First McManus was undone by a full ball which clattered into the base of the stumps. While Zaib then sent one flying through extra cover, he pulled Finch's next delivery to deep backward square-leg where Isaac Mohammed held a stunning diving catch.

George Bartlett scooped Khurram for six, but he became Finch's third victim when he hit straight to cover.

Sanderson pulled Dwarshuis for six before smashing 14 off the penultimate over bowled by Shahzad. First, he dispatched a free hit out of the ground, before inside edging for four and then dissecting two cover fielders. While he was bowled by Khurram's final delivery, a George Scrimshaw boundary saw Northamptonshire pass 150.

In the chase, Willey (2 for 22) struck twice in his opening overs, Mohammed who hit straight to mid-off, while Brett D'Oliveira was bowled stepping away.

Kashif played positively from the get-go, garnering a handsome straight drive off Willey and a straight six off Sanderson. He targeted Broad, hitting consecutive boundaries before pulling over midwicket as the Rapids ended the powerplay on 44 for 2.

Roderick, who started slowly, enjoyed Scrimshaw's extra pace, a brace of boundaries bringing up Worcestershire 50 off 26 balls, before Kashif hit Scrimshaw for a massive six over deep midwicket. A similar shot in the pacer's next over brought Kashif six more before he ran two to reach his half-century off 24 balls.

Roderick finished the over by crunching another maximum, Scrimshaw conceding 31 off his first two overs.

The runs kept coming for Kashif despite a blow on the foot by a perfect yorker from Willey. He attacked the spin of Pope too, coming down the wicket to smite him over deep midwicket.

Sanderson then broke the partnership, Kashif falling to a well-judged catch in the deep by Broad, while Roderick spooned a catch around the corner, but some lusty blows from Ethan Brookes helped seal the win.