Royal London One Day Cup 2022: Sunday 7th August - Latest News, Scores and Match Reports

Here is all the latest news, scores and match reports for the Royal London One Day Cup 2022: Sunday 7th August.

 

Royal London One Day Cup 2022 Fixtures: Sunday 7th August

 

Sussex vs Leicestershire, Hove

Sussex beat Leicestershire by eight wickets in a Royal London One-Day Cup match at Hove which lasted a total of just 50.5 overs.

Leicestershire were bowled out for just 120 in 32.4 overs before Sussex, led by Ali Orr and Tom Clark, knocked off the runs in only 18.1 overs.  Leicestershire came here with two wins out of two – not both these sides have won two out of three.  And this match was over so quickly that everyone had time to watch most of the second half of Brighton’s Premier League clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

 When Sussex bowled there was a little swing from Brad Currie, who took two wickets, and some movement from the clever Ari Karvelas on a pitch with a hint of green in it.  But there was also some indifferent batting by the away side.

 Sussex had chosen to bowl and the pick of their attack was Karvelas, 28, who was born in South Africa and represented Greece in a T20 World Cup qualifier against Italy.  He is on a month’s trial with Sussex and has impressed with both bat and ball.  There were also three wickets for Delray Rawlins, who had figures of three for 22 in 5.4 overs.  These were his best figures in List A cricket, beating his previous best, his 3-50 against Gloucestershire on Friday, in a match where he also recorded his batting best in the competition.

The Leicestershire procession started with the fifth ball of the second over when Nick Welch inside-edged Currie onto his leg stump.  It was  six for two when Rishi Patel played crookedly forward to the first ball of the third over and was lbw to Karvelas.

The wickets kept tumbling.  It was 28 for three when Lewis Hill was lbw to Karvelas to the last ball of the seventh over and then 29 for four in the ninth when Louis Kimber drove Karvelas into the hands of Archie Lenham at mid-on.  Next ball it was 29 for five when Harry Swindells, coming forward and aiming for the leg side, was lbw to Karvelas.

Aaron Lilley played on to Currie for a single to make it 30 for six in the 12th over and Leicestershire reached their nadir in the 16th when Tom Scriven edged Henry Crocombe to Tom Clarke at first slip for nine.

There was then a partial recovery as Wiaan Mulder (27) and Roman Walker (23) featured in the best partnership of the innings, adding 44 in 11 overs before Walker was bowled by Rawlins.

Rawlins broke through again in his next over when Mulder, going back to cut when he might have been forward, was bowled.  Beuran Hendricks hit Lenham for six over midwicket and there was also a breezy 16 off 18 deliveries off last man Chris Wright in a last wicket stand worth 27 before Rawlins brought the innings to an end by bowling Hendricks.

 When Sussex batted they soon lost Harrison Ward, who played on to Wright in the fourth over.  But the match was put beyond doubt by Orr, who hit Mulder for two vast sixes in the same over, both crashing into the block of flats behind deep backward square leg on the east side of the ground.

 When Orr was caught at long-on for a 40-ball 44, with four fours to go with his brace of sixes, Clark, in the company of Chet Pujara, too Sussex comfortably home with an unbeaten 53 off 51 balls, with seven fours and a big six over midwicket.

Gloucestershire vs Somerset, Bristol

 

Jack Taylor made match-winning contributions with bat and ball as Gloucestershire carved out a hard-earned five-wicket win over arch rivals Somerset in a low-scoring Royal London One-Day encounter at Bristol's Seat Unique Stadium.

Gloucestershire's captain returned figures of 4-31 with his leg breaks and then made an unbeaten 77 as the home side chased down a victory target of 200 with 7.1 overs to spare in front of a modest but enthusiastic derby crowd.

Somerset won the toss, posted 57 without loss in 10 overs and then inexplicably slumped to 112-7, one batsman after another giving their wicket away cheaply. Lewis Goldsworthy mustered a defiant 66, hewn from 103 balls with 2 fours, but the visitors were bowled out for 199 in 47.4 overs, with slow left armer Tom Smith taking 2-29 in support of Taylor.

Australian Test batsman Marcus Harris proved the mainstay of Gloucestershire's reply, raising 59 from 90 balls on a typically slow Bristol pitch, before Taylor and Zafar Gohar finished the job off. Kasey Aldridge was the pick of the Somerset bowlers, claiming 2-43.

Following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Warwickshire and Sussex, Gloucestershire will be relieved to have finally broken their duck, even though the contest will scarcely live long in the memory of those who witnessed it. As for Somerset, they will go into Wednesday's home game against Durham seeking a first win in three attempts after another disappointing batting display.

There was no sign of the trouble that lay ahead as Matt Renshaw and Steve Davies staged a productive opening stand of 57 in 10.2 overs, justifying the decision to bat first. Aggressive from the outset, Renshaw cut and pulled to good effect in making 38 from 45 balls, including 5  fours and a six, smashed high over long-on at the expense of Zafar.  But the Australian flirted with danger outside off stump and twice survived confident caught behind appeals before eventually edging Jared Warner to James Bracey.

The introduction of spin from both ends yielded instant dividends thereafter, experienced campaigners Davies and James Hildreth both falling to poor shots in successive overs as the visitors lurched from 72-1 to 75-3 in the space of seven deliveries. Taylor and Smith both struck with their first balls, the former inducing Davies to hit a full toss to Oli Price at cover for 18 and the latter bowling Hildreth for one, the batsman guilty of an airy shot outside off stump.

Somerset contributed further to their own downfall, new batsman George Bartlett being comprehensively run out by Chris Dent for seven after being sent back by Goldsworthy in pursuit of a notional single. Having made such a promising start, the cider county had lost four wickets for the addition of 34 runs in 10 overs, in the process offering Gloucestershire a way back into the contest.

Academy product James Rew then attempted to sweep Taylor and was caught by Bracey down the leg side, while Ben Green played an ill-advised forcing shot and was held by the diving Price at mid-on as Somerset subsided 111-6 in the 27th over.

Worse followed when Aldridge missed a straight ball on off stump and was bowled by Pakistani slow left armer Zafar, at which point Goldsworthy represented Somerset's last realistic hope of posting a competitive score. In danger of running out of partners and forced by the parlous situation in which he found himself to be circumspect, the 21-year-old Cornishman played responsibly to chisel 50 from 81 balls. He found a willing ally in Siddle, the eighth wicket pair adding 67 in 16 overs to at least partially rebuild the innings. The sole contributor of boundaries during his sojourn in the middle, Siddle struck a straight six and a brace of fours before playing across the line and being bowled by Taylor for 29. 

Taylor completed his stint by bowling Goldsworthy in the 46th over and Paul van Meekeren accounted for Jack Brooks as Somerset were dismissed with 14 balls unused.

Somerset had no option but to press hard for early wickets and new ball bowlers Kasey Aldridge and Jack Brooks obliged, sweeping aside openers Chris Dent (3) and Ben Wells (15) respectively inside six overs. Siddle produced late swing to bowl Bracey for 15 and, when Price suffered a rush of blood to the head and hoisted Goldsworthy's slow left arm straight to deep mid-wicket, Gloucestershire were 69-4 and experiencing a degree of discomfiture.

A calming influence in the middle, overseas star Harris offered reassurance, staging a restorative stand of 75 in 18 overs for the fifth wicket with skipper Taylor, who initially suppressed his naturally attacking instincts to play the supporting role that was the order of the day.  Harris registered 50 from 82 deliveries, only to then spoon a slower ball from Aldridge to backward point with Gloucestershire in need of 56 more runs from 15.3 overs and the result still in doubt. 

Dropped on 10 by Renshaw at slip off the bowling of Green, Zafar made good his escape to score 18 not out, while Taylor went to an 83-ball 50 with a huge six over long-on off the same bowler to calm any lingering nerves.

 

Kent vs Hampshire, Beckenham

Hampshire have thrashed the Kent Spitfires by 163 runs in the Royal London Cup at Beckenham, after a sensational 181 by Tom Prest.

The 19-year-old creamed the Kent attack to every corner of the ground in an innings of 138 balls, which included seven sixes. Prest put on a stand of 207 with Nick Gubbins, who himself hit 117 from 107 balls, as the visitors posted 396 for five from their 50 overs.

Hamid Qadri was the pick of Kent’s bowlers, but even his two wickets came at the cost of 71 balls and the Spitfires slumped from 45 without loss to 233 all out in a run chase that looked doomed as soon as wickets began to fall.

Jack Campbell had Hampshire’s best figures with four for 44, while Alex Blake was Kent’s top scorer with 62.

The word was that the wicket wasn’t a “typical Beckenham road,” but Kent’s decision to field looked rash, as an attack that had to do without Grant Stewart, who was playing purely as a batter due to a heel injury, struggled to make any impression.

A healthy crowd of over around 1,800 saw Hampshire’s openers made 49 without loss before Nathan Gilchrist bowled Aneurin Donald for 21, but that was the hosts’ last success for over two hours, as Gubbins and Prest flayed the bowling.

Gubbins cut Joey Evison for four to reach his 50, while Prest survived an early appeal for a catch after reverse sweeping Qadri and reached his half-century by hitting George Linde for six over cow corner.

Gubbins’ century arrived during a bruising over for Kent all-rounder Joey Evison that went for 17. Prest took five from the first two balls and Gubbins hit 12 from the remaining four.

Prest glanced Gilchrist for two to reach three figures, but the stand was finally broken when Hamid Qadri took two wickets in the 38^th over. Gubbins finally fell when he was caught by Gilchrist and the hosts’s hopes were fleetingly raised when Ben Brown was caught by sub fielder George Ealham for just two.

They quickly nosedived again as Toby Albert joined Prest and made a rapid 35 before he was lbw to Navdeep Saini.

Prest drove Quinn for four to pass 150 and eventually perished in the 50th over when he holed out to Gilchrist and was caught on the boundary by Ealham.

It said something about the way the innings had gone that the home fans were relieved Hampshire hadn’t reached 400 and Kent made a solid enough start to the chase, reaching 45 without loss before Ben Compton was caught by Fletcha Middleton off John Turner for 24.

Campbell then quickly removed both Tawanda Muyeye and Ollie Robinson. The latter made 40 before he was caught behind and Robinson was caught by Scott Currie for 22.

Felix Organ had Joey Evison caught for one by Ian Holland and when Prest then had George Linde caught by Holland for three, Kent were 113 for five and fans were already starting to leave.

They missed some fireworks from Blake, but he rapidly ran out of partners. Stewart offered some brief entertainment with 15 before he fell to a steepling catch by Donald off Organ.

Blake smacked Prest for a six over long off to reach 50 and stood his ground after a strong appeal for a catch off Organ, but then fell to a superb diving catch by Donald in the same over, the brilliance of which was nearly matched by Albert when sprinted to remove Qadri off Currie for seven.

Campbell had Matt Quinn caught by Holland for eight and despite some late hitting by Gilchrist, who made his highest List A score of 33, the rout was completed when he swished Campbell to Gubbins.

Durham vs Middlesex, Chester-le-Street

Middlesex got off the mark in their Royal London Cup campaign by easing past Durham courtesy of a career-best 146 from Stephen Eskinazi and a five-wicket haul from Umesh Yadav at Seat Unique Riverside.

Yadav starred with the ball for the visitors claiming figures of five for 33, dismantling the Durham top order before returning to dismiss the hosts for 268 after Michael Jones had led a recovery with his maiden List A ton.

Middlesex were clinical with the bat led by Eskinazi's unbeaten ton at the top of the order, controlling the chase with support from Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson, who each made half-centuries. Two stands of over hundred highlighted the ease of the Middlesex victory, knocking off the target with 50 balls to spare.

Durham would have been hopeful for a bright start to bounce back from their thrashing at the hands of Surrey at Gosforth on Thursday, winning the toss and electing to bat in the sunshine at the Riverside.

However, Graham Clark was cleaned up by Yadav from the second ball of the innings. Yadav then prised out Scott Borthwick lbw before Nic Maddinson was dismissed in a bizarre manner as the ball clipped the back of his bat from an attempted pull and ended up in the grasp of Sam Robson at first slip.

After being reduced to 16 for three, Durham required a stand from Alex Lees and Michael Jones to rebuild the innings. Lees responded with a fine knock off 66. The left-hander was measured his defence before settling into a rhythm, bringing up his half-century with a deft reverse-sweep from 73 balls. Lees and Jones extended their partnership to 109 before the England Test opener got a grubber from Luke Hollman to fall lbw for 66.

Jones took the initiative to post his maiden List A fifty for Durham, reaching the milestone in style with a sublime drive down the ground off Hollman. The Scotland international freed his arms against Toby Greatwood, clearing the rope twice in the 33rd over with off-drives to increase the Durham run rate.

Jones notched a deserved century from 107 deliveries, and added further blows in a partnership with 89 with Luke Doneathy. However, hopes of a score of 300 were dashed, Hollman removed Jones  for 119 before Yadav cleaned up the tail to bowl out the home side for 268.

Ollie Gibson should have made a breakthrough in the second over of Middlesex's chase, but Tom Mackintosh put down a routine chance behind the stumps. The visitors eased to fifty within 38 balls capitalising on Stoneman's reprieve to whittle down the required rate below five per over. Stoneman poured on the agony for the hosts by easing his way to his half-century and was soon joined by Eskinazi, lofting Borthwick over the top to secure his fifty.

The openers broke a Middlesex record for the highest stand for the first wicket against Durham, but Gibson eventually got his reward and his first List A wicket to dismiss Stoneman for 62 and ending the partnership for 132. Despite the loss of Stoneman, Eskinazi continued to look at ease and dispatched the Durham attack to the fence, including a huge six over cow corner against Trevaskis.

The 28-year-old worked his way to his third List A hundred from just 99 balls before upping the ante to whittle down the victory target. Eskinazi and Robson punished the youthful Durham attack to all parts in the closing overs to ease over the line and register their first victory in the competition this term.

Surrey vs Warwickshire, The Oval

Tailenders Nick Kimber and Matt Dunn swung and swiped Surrey to a miracle Royal London Cup tie against Warwickshire in front of a captivated Kia Oval crowd of almost 5,000.

Kimber thumped six sixes and six fours in a remarkable 51-ball 84 and fellow seamer Dunn then hit Ollie Hannon-Dalby for two sixes in his 34 before, with the scores level and every fielder up in the ring, he was bowled by a Liam Norwell yorker trying to hit a winning blow from the first ball of the final over.

Dunn, with just 19 runs in total from his previous 13 one-day matches, almost got Surrey home after Kimber had been dismissed with 31 more runs needed from the last 27 balls as they chased Warwickshire’s 293 for 5.

Surrey’s No 11 Yousuf Majid, an 18-year-old playing his first senior innings, remained 5 not out in Surrey’s 293 all out but it was Kimber, 21, and with a top score of just 27 from his previous five List A appearances, who was the main hero of the hour after seeing his team struggle initially to 184 for 7.

Earlier wicketkeeper-batsman Michael Burgess starred against his native county and he and Indian international all-rounder Krunal Pandya were the stand-out performers for Warwickshire.

Kimber hinted at an extraordinary turnaround when took three sixes in one Rob Yates over and he also struck six fours in a brilliant effort that was only cut short when Pandya bowled him through an attempted cut with his left-arm spin in the 46^th over.

But Dunn would not accept defeat in his own 19-ball effort, drawing the scores level with a single off Pandya from the last ball of the penultimate over, immediately after swinging him to mid wicket for his second four.

Norwell’s yorker denied Surrey a memorable win but, thanks to Kimber and Dunn, it was still a great display by a youthful Surrey line-up. For the third Royal London fixture running, they fielded an entirely uncapped team featuring nine players aged 24 or under. Nico Reifer, 21, also hit a defiant 53 that included two big sixes over long on, off Hannon-Dalby and Norwell.

Burgess, who was born in Epsom and played for Surrey from under-13 to Second XI level but then represented Leicestershire and Sussex before moving to Edgbaston in 2019, hit a classy List A best 93 from only 78 balls, with two sixes and nine fours, and put on 160 in 25.4 overs for the fourth wicket with Pandya, whose often powerful 74 occupied 82 balls.

Their stand rallied Warwickshire after they had stalled to 89 for 3 in the 21^st over, after opting to bat first in gloriously sunny conditions, and was a List A fourth wicket record for Warwickshire against Surrey. It beat the previous mark of 108, between Jim Troughton and Alex Loudon, at Croydon’s Whitgift School in 2005.

Warwickshire lost Dom Sibley for 5 in the seventh over, leg-before to Dunn trying to whip a straight ball towards mid wicket, but fellow opener Yates followed up his 87 in Warwickshire’s win against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham last Tuesday by scoring a solid 66-ball 54 in a second wicket alliance of 62 with Will Rhodes.

Yates dominated the partnership, completing his half-century with a rasping square cut for four off Conor McKerr just before falling to the same bowler later in the over, skying to mid on.

And, two balls later at the start of the 21^st over, off spinner Amar Virdi had Rhodes caught at the wicket, pushing defensively, for 15.

Virdi impressed in a ten-over spell of 1 for 35 but Burgess and Pandya both batted carefully at first to rebuild the innings before accelerating effortlessly in the second half of their superb stand.

Warwickshire’s total was 191 for 3 after 40 overs, but 102 runs were plundered from the last ten overs as Pandya swung two sixes to add to his five fours and Burgess took successive legside sixes off McKerr before mis-hitting the next ball to deep mid wicket.

Ethan Brookes and Matt Lamb both scored useful runs to further boost the total, with McKerr’s ten overs eventually costing 79 as the fast bowler bore the brunt of Warwickshire’s late assault.

Surrey’s reply got off to a bad start, with Ben Geddes dragging a widish swinging ball from Hannon-Dalby into his own stumps to go for 9 in the fifth over and the total quickly slipping to 31 for 3 as Ryan Patel edged Hannon-Dalby to first slip on 14, soon after pulling him over mid wicket for six, and Cameron Steel was pinned leg-before for 0 by Craig Miles.

All-rounder Tom Lawes, 19, had earlier athletically caught and bowled Pandya and acquitted himself well with the ball and now, in at No 5, batted well for 28 before lifting a catch off Rhodes’s second ball.

And Reifer then joined 23-year old Josh Blake in a fifth wicket stand of 57 before Blake thin-edged a swipe at Miles to keeper Burgess to fall for a 55-ball 40.

Reifer’s maiden List A half-century ended when Lamb dived to pull off a fine catch at deep mid wicket, and Norwell was again the successful bowler when McKerr (2) edged to Burgess. Virdi was run out for 8, to make it 223 for 8, but by then Kimber’s big hitting had given Surrey a chance – and they almost pulled it off.

Yorkshire vs Worcestershire, Scarborough

George Hill’s calm yet crisp maiden List A century ensured Yorkshire won a topsy-turvy Royal London Cup clash with Worcestershire at Scarborough by four wickets as they chased 247.

Hill came in with the Vikings at 10 for two and finished with 130 off 131 balls.

Yorkshire had slipped to 37 for three shortly afterwards, but the 21-year-old all-rounder steered the ship towards a second win in three Group B games, achieved with 16 balls remaining.

Matthew Waite’s key all-round contribution of three for 21 from eight overs of seam and 36 - he shared 96 for the fifth wicket with Hill - also contributed to a third straight Rapids’ defeat. 

Ben Cox impressed for them with a brisk 70 late in 246 for eight, but Hill had the final say in surpassing a previous best of 90.

Both top orders struggled on a pitch with extra bounce and nibble.

Only flashes of success came during the first half of Worcestershire’s innings having been inserted.

Waite claimed two new ball wickets against the county he played four games on loan with earlier this season, the all-rounder enjoying his stay at New Road immensely.

Ed Pollock played on before Azhar Ali miscued Waite to mid-off, leaving the score at 18 for two in the eighth over.

Gareth Roderick and Kashif Ali - 29 and 22 - failed to make the most of starts and fell to Tom Loten and off-spinner Jack Shutt. 

At 94 for four after 26 overs, the Rapids were encountering a polished Yorkshire bowling display.

Ed Barnard then pulled Waite out to deep midwicket, where Dom Bess took a smart running catch - 119 for five in the 33rd. 

The situation meant captain Jake Libby had to play a risk-free innings, and only two boundaries came in his 83-ball fifty, achieved shortly before the 40-over mark, where Worcester reached at 161 for five

Unfortunately, his first real sign of aggression saw him top-edge a pull behind off Coad to fall moments later. But his 58 had built a platform from which Cox could attack.

Powerful and inventive to leg, Cox reached his fifty off 38 balls. 

He was particularly strong sweeping in pushing the Rapids up towards 250 and helped Joe Leach take 18 off Loten in the penultimate over before falling lbw as the second of two late wickets for Bess.

This was only Cox’s second game back after a near two-month break for mental health reasons, and this innings followed 59 not out in defeat to Kent last week.

Yorkshire then lost three wickets inside 11 overs. Leach struck first by trapping Will Fraine lbw, his opening partner Harry Duke later edging Adam Finch’s fifth ball behind to Cox. 

Sandwiched in between, Cox helped Dillon Pennington oust Will Luxton for a golden duck off the inside-edge. 

But, in Hill and captain Jonny Tattersall, they encountered a third-wicket pair who calmly and confidently turned the game back in favour of the Vikings with an 87-run stand.

Both played eye-catching strokes down the ground and through midwicket, Hill in particular, in 16 overs together.

Minutes after reaching their half-century partnership - 87 for three after 18 - Hill secured a 47-ball fifty.

He was dropped on 53 by Roderick running in from deep midwicket off Leach. But Pennington returned to force Tattersall to play on for 45 shortly afterwards, leaving the score at 124 for four in the 27th over.

Hill, who was venomous on the pull, found another partner in Waite, uniting for 15 overs. 

Waite was dropped on 22, but the game was all but decided by then. That theory was strengthened almost immediately when Hill reached his ton off 96 balls, Yorkshire now 194 for four in the 38th. 

The former England Under 19 celebrated arms aloft before getting back to it, pulling a six off Leach over long-on as the finish line fast approached. 

Waite was run out and then Hill caught at long-on off Libby with six needed. But it mattered not.

Lancashire vs Derbyshire, Old Trafford

Steven Croft and Rob Jones put on a record-breaking, unbroken 154 to set up a 39-run victory for Lancashire over Derbyshire in the Royal London Cup match at Emirates Old Trafford.

Croft made an unbeaten 87 and Jones was 70 not out as the home side recovered from 67 for four to post 221 for four in their fifty overs.

Despite a resolute innings from Shan Masood, who was last out for 82, that proved too many for Derbyshire on a sluggish pitch and the visitors were dismissed for 182, Will Williams taking career-best List A figures of for 20 

Lancashire’s openers got off to a slow start, scoring only 31 runs off the first ten overs of their innings as Sam Conners and Ben Aitchison maintained a tight line and length. Conners also took the first wicket when he had the in-form Luke Wells caught behind by Brooke Guest for seven but Keaton Jennings and Josh Bohannon then put on 36  before Alex Thomson took three wickets in 13 balls

With his third ball the off-spinner had Bohannon leg before wicket for 15 when the Lancastrian played across the line and he followed that four overs later by removing Jennings and Washington Sundar.

Having made 33, Jennings effectively yorked himself when he came forward and played over the top of a full-length delivery from Thomson and Washington Sundar drove his first ball straight to mid-off where Billy Godleman took a two-handed catch  above his head.

That left Lancashire on 67 for four in the 21st over but the Derbyshire bowlers enjoyed no further successes as Steven Croft and Rob Jones blunted Godleman’s attack before settling for modest acceleration on a pitch unsuited to fast scoring.

Croft passed his half-century in 73 balls with four fours and Jones reached the same mark off 71 deliveries after hitting a solitary four. However, the pair scored 40 runs off the last six overs and in the process they broke Lancashire’s fifth-wicket record in List A cricket, the previous mark of 128 being held jointly by Mike Atkinson and Mike Watkinson v Oxfordshire at Christ Church, Oxford in 1992 and 

Jason Gallian and Neil Fairbrother v Leicestershire at Grace Road in 1997.

The most successful Derbyshire bowler was Thomson, who took three for 25 from five overs, but Mark Watt conceded only 33 runs from his ten overs and Conners took one wicket for 41 from ten overs, two of which were bowled at the death.

The visitors’ pursuit of 222 began as badly as their hosts had done. In the fifth over, Luis Reece was caught at deep square leg for 17 by the substitute fielder George Bell off Williams and six balls later Liam Hurt brought one back off the seam to bowl Godleman for one.

Harry Came was perhaps unfortunate to be given out caught down the leg side for a single but when Brooke Guest chipped Washington to Croft at midwicket, Derbyshire were 53 for four after 16 overs.

Masood and Anuj Daj then began much the same work of repair as Croft and Jones had accomplished for Lancashire and at the halfway point of their innings the visitors were 89 for four, two runs better off than Lancashire at the same stage.

Although, Dal played on to Hurt for 15 in the 27th over, Mattie McKiernan helped Masood add 48 in 12 overs to keep Derbyshire in the hunt. McKiernan was leg before to Williams for 27 and Thomson caught and bowled by Wells for two to leave Derbyshire needing 76 off the last ten overs.

Jack Morley, who finished with one for 37, and Washington (2-43) took further wickets and the game ended when Masood holed out on the deep midwicket boundary, Rob Jones taking the low, diving catch off Williams when 22 balls remained in the game.

 

Northamptonshire vs Essex, Northampton

Northamptonshire’s Saif Zaib treated a record Royal London Cup crowd at Wantage Road to a commanding 136, as Northamptonshire pulled off their highest ever run chase in one-day cricket to beat Essex in a thrilling Royal London Cup clash.

It was a maiden List A century for Zaib, who was forced to retire hurt on 129 after diving for a second run with Northamptonshire still needing 110. But he returned later to record his highest score in all forms of first team cricket before Tom Sales and Nathan Buck saw their side home by three wickets with two balls to spare.

Zaib had combined with captain Will Young in a stand worth 212 in 27.1 overs to set Northamptonshire on their way. Zaib was in aggressive form throughout, hitting boundaries all around the wicket, finishing with 14 fours and four sixes.

Essex’s total of 343 for nine was set up by a sparkling century from Feroze Khushi who shared a partnership worth 169 in 23.4 overs with his captain Tom Westley (67). It was his second List A hundred since making 109 against Durham on List A debut last summer. But hopes of capitalising on that start were dashed by Buck who took three wickets in the space of just seven balls to finish with career best figures of five for 59.

Essex had lost a wicket in the second over when Josh Rymell chopped on to Buck. Khushi though showed immediate intent, stroking consecutive boundaries off Buck and hooking him for six before greeting a loosener from Tom Taylor with disdain, smashing it square for four. He was equally adept against the slower bowlers Alex Russell and Zaib, firing the ball down the ground and playing a delicate cut to the ropes.

He had some moments of luck, earning a reprieve on 43 when he was caught hooking a Taylor no ball. Later, one delivery after hitting Zaib for a big six over deep midwicket, he was caught in the deep by Ricardo Vasconcelos who threw the ball back in just before he stepped over the ropes. Then on 86, he was dropped at long-on off Zaib but dispatched the next delivery over the bowler’s head for six to move into the nineties.

Westley meanwhile kept up the rate at the other end, scoring at a run a ball, stroking the ball sweetly around the park, hitting eight boundaries before he fell to a brilliant diving catch by Will Young at short cover off Russell..

Grant Roelofsen (16) played a few aggressive shots but departed when he picked out Vasconcelos on the deep square leg boundary to give Russell a second wicket. 

Khushi’s stay finally ended when he swung Taylor to Young at deep midwicket.In total He hit 12 boundaries and three maximums off just 93 balls.  It was his second List A hundred since making 109 against Durham on List A debut last summer.

Robin Das got off the mark by hooking Tom Taylor for four to bring up Essex’s 200 in the 30th over and took consecutive boundaries against Zaib. But on the verge of a half century, he smacked Jack White straight to Young at short cover for a well-made 47.

Buck’s spell though was telling. He bowled Will Buttleman and picked up Aaron Beard and Aron Nijjar, both to catches, in quick succession before celebrating his maiden List A five-wicket haul when Shane Snater was caught on the boundary.

Northamptonshire lost two early wickets in the chase against a tight opening burst from Beard and Jamie Porter. Emilio Gay was caught off a leading edge, the first of two early wckets for Beard who also got one to nip back and bowl Vasconcelos (11).

Young and Zaib began the process of rebuilding, the captain pulling Porter for four while Zaib steered Beard took two boundaries behind square in the same over.

Northamptonshire ended the powerplay on 58 for two, 13 behind Essex at the same stage, but soon started to make up lost ground. Young, dropped by keeper Buttleman on 27, stroked the seamers around the ground, but reserved his biggest shot for slow left armer Nijjar when he swung an enormous six over deep midwicket and moved to his half century off 51 balls.

Zaib meanwhile swung Porter through midwicket.and smacked Nijjar ferociously through the covers for another boundary, moving to his half century off 47 balls. He greeted Jamal Richards by hooking him high over backward square leg for six followed by an off-side four to bring up Northamptonshire’s 150 in the 23rd over.

He reached three figures off just 79 deliveries and showed no signs of slowing down, hitting a Beard delivery out of the ground over deep extra cover.

Young finally fell lbw to Nijjar, one ball after hitting him for six and Northamptonshire quickly lost a second when new batter Rob Keogh was adjudged lbw to Snater.

With Zaib still there and Northamptonshire well ahead of the run rate, there still seemed little cause for panic until Zaib went down after diving for a second run.

Keeper Lewis McManus (28) though held his nerve, hitting Nijjar down the ground for six and combining in a 54-run stand with Taylor (27). When both fell, Zaib returned to the crease to a huge ovation and dispatched Snater down the ground for six.

When he was out caught off Richards, Northamptonshire needed 26 off the last two overs. Snater gifted two no balls before James Sales struck consecutive boundaries and ran a three.. Buck hit down the ground for six and played a deft cut down to third to leave Northamptonshire needing just three runs off the final over.

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