Worcestershire Rapids hit their second-highest-ever T20 score as they defeated Notts Outlaws by 56 runs at Trent Bridge on Friday night to maintain their 100% winning start to the 2023 Vitality Blast.

The Rapids amassed 226-5 after being put into bat, with skipper Brett D’Oliveira (44), Michael Bracewell (55), Jack Haynes (42), and Adam Hose (51 not-out) all making sizeable contributions.

It was a magnificent display of hitting, and fell just one run short of the record total of 227-6 against Northamptonshire at Kidderminster in 2007.

But it was Worcestershire’s highest-ever away score in the competition, surpassing the 213-7 versus Somerset at Edgbaston in a televised match at Birmingham during COVID-19.

D’Oliveira then weaved his magic with the ball to finish with T20 best figures of 4-11, beating his 4-20 against Lancashire Lightning at New Road last summer.

Pat Brown was also in brilliant form with the ball in finishing with 4-25 from 3.2 overs, and, like D’Oliveira, has 11 wickets already in the competition this summer.

Notts were eventually dismissed for 170 in 18.2 overs and it means The Rapids have now won all four matches and sit top of the North Group table.

It marks a complete turnaround in T20 form from the start of last season, when the Rapids lost all of their opening four matches. But now the Rapids are flying and they have crucial momentum.

"We know Trent Bridge is a tough place to come and play. They are very proud of their T20 record, and so they should be," said head coach Alan Richardson.

"All Dolly (D'Oliveira) asked before the start of play was to be really aggressive and have that intent, and I think the boys executed that brilliantly well.

"It is certainly a different start to 2022. Last year was a very tough start, we had four games on the road, and we weren’t anywhere near full strength.

"But it feels now that we are far closer to that, and it’s been nice to put a run of results together, and have a little bit of momentum.

"Having that clarity in roles does help massively, that we’ve kept the same side pretty much the whole time through.

"Momentum important? We’ve experienced both ends of that. In 2018 we definitely had momentum going one way, and last year we had it going the other way.

"When you have it, and it is in a positive direction, you want to keep hold of it as much as possible."