It has been a dreadful start to the season in the County Championship for Lancashire, who named former T20-winning captain Steven Croft as interim head coach, with no wins from their seven games.
Jennings had already resigned as red-ball captain and the club apologised to its members before Benkenstein’s exit.
Back in charge for the T20 Blast, Jennings brought up his 50 off 30 balls and put on 79 for the first wicket with Luke Wells.
But a brilliant catch in the deep from Ethan Brookes removed Jennings and halted Lancashire’s progress, and the hosts lost five wickets for 22 runs to keep the target to under nine runs an over.
When Kashif Ali smashed 39 off 21 balls, the Rapids were well over the required rate and on course for an away win.
But the loss of captain Brett D’Oliveira (30) and Adam Hose (13) to reduce Worcestershire to 93-4 after 10.1 overs changed the complexion of the game.
From there, Lancashire turned the screw and with the visitors needing 15 runs off the last over, Tom Aspinwall conceded just seven to deliver a morale-boosting first win of the season in any competition.
