One-Day Cup: Joe Leach takes hat-trick with first three balls

Joe Leach claimed a hat-trick with the first three balls of Worcestershire's Royal London One-Day Cup game against Northamptonshire at New Road - but the Royals still slipped to a 21-run defeat.

Leach, 24, had Richard Levi and Richard Keogh caught behind by wicketkeeper Ben Cox before Ben Duckett flashed the next delivery to Jack Shantry in the gully.

Chaminda Vaas became the first player in Test matches or ODIs to take three wickets with the opening three deliveries, doing so against Bangladesh in the 2003 World Cup.

Northants were left reeling by Leach's burst, with 0-3 soon becoming 19-6 when Shantry removed Alex Wakely, David Willey and Steven Crook before the eighth over had been completed.

Rory Kleinveldt (33), Josh Cobb (32), Graeme White (27) and Olly Stone (12no) showed some resistance, though, as the Steelbacks battled to 126 all out - a total that proved to be beyond Worcestershire.

Northants paceman Azharullah claimed 4-22 as the Pears were dismissed for 105 in exactly 31 overs to, Cox's 36 and a 10-ball 21 from Leach not enough for the hosts in a crazy encounter.

"I can't quite believe I'm stood here after we've lost that game," said Leach.

"Obviously the first three balls were an unbelievable feeling - I never thought something like that would happen, but I'm a bit gutted at the moment at the way the rest of the game has gone."

Click here to read the Worcestershire-Northants scorecard.

Kumar Sangakkara (109) and Steven Davies (115) both hit centuries as Surrey amassed 326-7 in their 77-run win over Derbyshire.

West Durston (129) also hit a hundred – off just 74 balls – to help keep his side in the run-chase, but no-one else managed more than 27 as Derbyshire were dismissed for 249, with James Burke taking five for 28.

Nottinghamshire chased down 269 to beat Essex by seven wickets at Chelmsford - Samit Patel scoring 124, winning the game with a six, and sharing an unbroken 215-run partnership with James Taylor (94no).

Warwickshire beat Lancashire by three wickets with just one ball to spare in a thrilling finish to their clash at Old Trafford.

Lancashire set 265-7 from their 50 overs with Ashwell Prince top-scoring with 82 and wicketkeeper Alex Davies providing a crucial lower-order burst with an unbeaten 73 from 59 balls.

Varun Chopra then hit 88 in reply, and Warwickshire’s wicketkeeper, Tim Ambrose, also pitched in with 59, but it was left to Ateeq Javid (32no) to take them over the line, hitting three fours in the final over.

Michael Klinger continued his fine form for Gloucestershire this season, scoring 107 in their three-wicket win over Somerset at Bristol.

Chasing 245 to win, the home side needed only 45 runs from the final six overs with Klinger still at the crease and seven wickets in hand, but the captain then fell and after his departure, Gloucestershire were in danger of slipping to a defeat with 17 needed from the final eight balls.

But Jack Taylor (24no) hit back-to-back sixes off Tim Groenewald to ease the pressure, and then hit the winning runs with two balls to spare.

Yorkshire beat Durham by 32 runs on Duckworth/Lewis, in a rain-affected game at Chester-le-Street.

Recently recalled to the England squad for the fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge next week, Liam Plunket took three for 40 as Durham posted 224-7 from 43 overs in a shortened match.

Glenn Maxwell (65no) and Gary Ballance (26no) were at the crease when the game was called off for rain, with Yorkshire 130-2 after 24.3 overs, enough to give them the win.

Darren Stevens took four for 29 and Mitchell Claydon, Matt Coles and Matt Hunn all took two apiece as Sussex fell to 154 all out in the 45th over of their clash with Kent at Canterbury.

Daniel Bell-Drummond (55no) then hit fifty as Kent cruised to an eight-wicket win.

Glamorgan’s game with Hampshire was called off after 6.4 overs of Hampshire’s run-chase as the pitch was deemed unsafe.

Glamorgan made 182-9 in their 50 overs with Colin Ingram top-scoring with 51, but with Hampshire 26-0 in their reply, the umpires took the players off after Jimmy Adams was hit by a Michael Hogan delivery that bounced alarmingly off a length and hit him on the helmet.