DURHAM 178-8; WORCESTERSHIRE RAPIDS 181-2
Brett D’Oliveira and Jake Libby powered Worcestershire to victory with a record-breaking stand in the eight wicket success over Durham at New Road.
The second wicket pair enabled the Rapids to chase down a 179 target with three balls to spare and reignite their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages.
The partnership was worth 145 in in 15 overs and surpassed the Rapids previous best for the second wicket versus Durham of 97 by Joe Clarke and Ben Cox at New Road four years ago.
Both D’Oliveira with 66 and Libby, unbeaten on 78, achieved career best T20 scores.
Durham elected to bat on a used hybrid pitch and Graham Clarke struck occasional spinner Libby for six over long off in an opening over costing 15 runs.
But he carved Ben Dwarshuis to point in the next over after making 13.
David Bedingham looked in fine form with a series of powerful lofted boundaries including a lost ball six off Dillon Pennington over mid wicket.
He raced to 44 from 26 balls before attempting to cut Ish Sodhi and edging through to keeper Ben Cox.
Stokes, in his third Blast appearance since recovering from a broken finger, managed a run a ball 20 before he aimed to slog Ed Barnard over long on and top edged a catch to Dwarshuis at backward point.
Dwarshuis also showed a safe pair of hands when Cameron Bancroft (26) lofted a Charlie Morris delivery to mid-off.
Morris enjoyed a further breakthrough as Sean Dickson (21) moved across his stumps and was lbw working the ball to leg.
Sodhi’s final ball of his spell as accounted for Brydon Carse who on 15 holed out to Brett D’Oliveira on the square leg boundary.
Ned Eckersley, on eight, found the hands of Jake Libby at long off to give Morris his third wicket and in the final over Ben Raine, after a quickfire 19, fell in the same to Dwarshuis.
When Worcestershire launched their reply, Scott Borthwick pulled out a superb one-handed catch at mid wicket to dismiss Riki Wessels after making just two off Matthew Potts.
D’Oliveira looked in good touch and smashed Stokes over long on for six in an over costing 16 runs and including two wides.
Libby produced two superb straight drives for four off Potts and the 50 stand with D’Oliveira came up in 27 balls.
The Rapids 100 came up in the 11th over in increasingly challenging light.
The stand was eventually broken when D’Oliveira was caught on the square leg boundary off Carse.
His 49 ball knock contained two sixes and six fours.
Libby continued to score freely but nine were still needed from the final over.
Ben Cox allayed any fears foe the Rapids by scooping the second ball from Potts for six and straight driving the next ball for four.