Royal London One-Day Cup: Yorkshire routed by Worcestershire
Thursday 9 June 2016 08:59, UK
Yorkshire's first game in the Royal London One-Day Cup ended in a heavy seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Worcestershire.
Yorkshire managed only 170 in their 45.2 over innings and the Rapids, inspired by Joe Leach, chased that down with nearly half of their overs remaining.
None of Yorkshire's batsmen were able to get going, with Gary Ballance's 30 off 32 balls their top score. Six more batsmen made it into double figures but failed to go on as Leach, Jack Shantry, George Rhodes and Brett D'Oliveira all claimed two wickets.
Any hopes Yorkshire had of a similar run through the Worcestershire order were soon dashed by Leach and opening partner Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
Leach smashed eight fours and three sixes in his 65 off 35 balls, while Kohler-Cadmore scored 42 at a run-a-ball as they put on 107 for the opening wicket.
Although both fell in quick succession to Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett, Joe Clarke scored 28 and captain Daryl Mitchell added 23 as they eased to their target midway through the 26th over.
England squad member Liam Dawson hit a superb 68 off 40 balls to lead Hampshire to a five-wicket Duckworth-Lewis method win over Middlesex in Radlett.
Dawson's innings made the difference after Middlesex had set them 296 for victory, later reduced to 206 off 26 overs after a rain delay.
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Middlesex looked set for a bigger score while Brendon McCullum was at the crease, with the former New Zealand captain belting eight fours and four sixes in his 74, which came off only 56 balls.
England limited-overs captain Eoin Morgan also passed 50 and James Franklin scored 40, but all three Middlesex stars were dismissed by young leg-spinner Mason Crane, who was expensive but returned figures of 4-80.
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Hampshire scored quickly while Adam Wheater (41 off 32) and Sean Ervine (45 off 32) were at the crease, and it was Ervine's stand with Dawson that turned the match in their direction as they added 89 in nine punishing overs.
And Dawson was at the non-strikers end when Gareth Andrew pounded the only ball he faced for four, seeing them home with three balls to spare.
Ben Slater came out on top in a battle of the centurions as Derbyshire powered to a seven-wicket home win over Durham.
Slater was playing in his first 50-over game for the county, and he marked it in style with a fine 119 off 136 balls to anchor Derbyshire's reply, having been set 217 for victory at the County Ground in Derby.
That kind of target had looked unlikely during the afternoon when Andy Carter and Shiv Thakor (3-36) helped reduce Durham to 75-7.
But Pringle came in at eight and produced a memorable innings, smashing 16 fours and four sixes in a thrilling 125 that was eventually ended by Carter (3-59) when he became the final wicket to fall.
However, the target looked some way short of competitive with Slater and Billy Godleman adding 105 for the first wicket before Usman Arshad ended their partnership in the 19th over.
Hamish Rutherford made 18 before Jamie Harrison dismissed him, but Derbyshire would get within three runs of their target before Slater's innings was ended by Mark Stoneman.
However, Neil Broom belted the second ball he faced to the boundary to see them across the line and make it two wins from two in the North Group.
Another young batsman in the runs was Warwickshire's Sam Hain, who belted an unbeaten 105 in their nine-wicket demolition of Leicestershire at Edgbaston.
Hain hit 12 fours and finished victory off in style when he went from 99 to 105 with a huge six to win the game for the Bears with nine overs remaining.
Leicestershire had set them 238 for victory, largely thanks to a fine 77 off 70 balls from Kevin O'Brien and some lusty hitting towards the bottom of their order from No 9 Rob Taylor, who hit four sixes in his innings of 66.
But victory was soon looking unlikely for the visitors as Hain and William Porterfield strolled to an opening stand of 169 in just under 30 overs.
Porterfield was trapped by Taylor for 75 but Hain and Laurie Evans (45no) had few problems in getting them over the line, with 20-year-old Hain taking the chance to pass three figures for the first time in a List A match.
