The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action from the latest round of matches in the 2024 Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Lords: Middlesex 135, Somerset 138-2 - Somerset win by eight wickets
Riley Meredith haunted Middlesex for the second time this season at Lord’s as Somerset crushed the hosts by eight wickets to book their place in the knockout stages.
The Tasmanian quick, whose 4 for 12 routed the Seaxes in the Vitality Blast back in June, was chief tormentor again with 4 for 27 – only the second time he'd taken four or more wickets in List A cricket – as the hosts were bundled out for 135 with 63 balls unused.
Meredith received great support from new-ball partner Josh Davey, the pair leaving Middlesex in disarray at 39 for 4 by the end of the powerplay. England spinner Jack Leach took two wickets later down the card with only Martin Andersson 34 and Luke Hollman, left stranded on 38 not out, providing prolonged resistance.
James Rew 53 not out, complete with two sixes and Lewis Goldsworthy 41 not out shared an unbroken third wicket stand of 81 to make light work of the chase as Somerset romped home with 23 overs to spare, eliminating Middlesex in the process.
Related: High-calibre bowling attack takes Somerset through
Northampton: Lancashire 240-9, Northamptonshire 236-8 - Lancashire win by four runs
George Balderson hit a spirited 53 off 67 balls to set up a consolation first win for Lancashire in this year's Metro Bank One Day Cup and break a six-game losing streak.
Balderson struck five fours and a six during a crucial partnership of 65 with Josh Boyden (44 not out) after Lancashire had slumped to 152 for 7 against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road. The pair's fightback allowed Lancashire to post 240 for 9 before holding off the Steelbacks' challenge in a thrilling, tense run-chase, emerging victorious by just four runs.
Earlier in this bottom of the table clash, Ben Sanderson made the initial breakthrough, removing two Lancashire top-order batters in five deliveries, while Saif Zaib claimed 3 for 44 as wickets continued to fall before Balderson and Boyden fought back.
In the run chase, Justin Broad hit a career-best 63, his first List A half century and shared a fifth wicket stand of 77 off 81 balls with skipper Lewis McManus. Boyden starred with the ball too, breaking the partnership by removing McManus and despite a gutsy 27 from Gus Miller, the hosts fell just short.
James Rew and Jack Leach were key in Somerset's comfortable win over Middlesex (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Worcester: Hampshire 164, Worcestershire 165-2 - Worcestershire win by eight wickets
Worcestershire Rapids took another significant step towards the knockout stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup as they overcame Hampshire by eight wickets at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
An excellent all-round performance with ball and then bat secured a fifth win in seven games for the second placed Rapids.
It keeps them on course to clinch the top three spot needed to go through to the next stage of the 50-over tournament.
Victory also maintained the Rapids 100 per cent home record in the competition after previous victories over Middlesex, Durham and Kent.
Canterbury: Durham 307, Kent 300-9 - Durham win by seven runs
Durham pulled off a sensational win in the Metro Bank Cup on Sunday, beating the Kent Spitfires by seven runs in a thriller at Canterbury.
Kent seemed to be cruising to victory after a regal 104 from Harry Finch, but the Spitfires collapsed from 223 for 2 and finished on 300 for 9, with George Drissell taking 4 for 38. Finch's 91-ball knock included a six and 13 fours and he put on 183 for the third wicket with Jack Leaning, who made 81, but Kent then lost six wickets for 71, leaving Colin Ackermann to successfully defend 17 off the final over.
Earlier Ben McKinney hit a superb century as Durham were all out for 307 from exactly 50 overs. McKinney's 115 came from 116 balls. Bas de Leede was the next highest scorer with 47. Jaydn Denly had the best figures of Kent's nine bowlers with 3 for 15 and Marcus O'Riordan took three for 36. The result keeps Durham in contention for the knock-out stages, but Kent have been eliminated.
Hove: Surrey 242, Sussex 243-4 - Sussex win by six wickets
Sussex Sharks won their first Metro Bank One-Day Cup match of the season at the seventh attempt when they defeated Surrey by six wickets at Hove. Surrey have not beaten Sussex in a List A game since 2016.
Sussex had lost their first six games – though three of those were very close – but after a heavy loss in their last outing against Gloucestershire they made six changes, with a number of experienced players returning to the side. These included Ollie Robinson, who has been short of cricket lately. Sussex want to get him match fit for next week's crucial County Championship fixture against Yorkshire.
Victory here was assured by a second wicket stand of 153 in 32 overs between the left-handers Tom Haines and Tom Alsop after Tom Clark had set the tone with a sprightly 24 from 27 balls.
Surrey, who also made a miserable start to the competition, losing their first five matches before winning the next two, never scored enough runs. But the young left-arm spinner Yousef Majid, just 20, bowled most impressively in difficult conditions, conceding just 34 runs from his 10 overs.
Trent Bridge: Nottinghamshire 218, Essex 219-3 - Essex win by seven wickets
Nottinghamshire's hopes of reaching the knock-out phases of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup were ended when an Essex side who were already eliminated still pulled off a crushing victory by seven wickets at Trent Bridge. Robin Das, opening and still unbeaten, posted a maiden white-ball century off the last ball of the match.
The 20-year-old Jamal Richards, one of five in the Essex side raised like Das in north-east London, earlier claimed 5 for 31 with whole-hearted, bustling pace. His best figures in all cricket halted an Outlaws surge to 96 for 1 and later helped induce a plummet from 163 for 4 to 218 all out despite Ben Slater's 47 and 52 from South African Matt Montgomery.
Other youngsters then saw Essex maturely home as Das and Noah Thain, neither of them yet past his 23rd birthday, put on 185 for the third wicket. Das finished with 100 from 119 balls whilst the teenage Thain fell with victory five runs away for 83, his best in Essex cricket so far.
Noah Thain made a career-best score for Essex (Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Rugby: Warwickshire 242-9, Yorkshire 246-4 - Yorkshire win by six wickets
Yorkshire preserved their hopes of Metro Bank One-Day Cup qualification by beating previously undefeated Warwickshire by six wickets at Rugby School.
The win was set up by George Hill's 6 for 28, the seventh-best List A figures for Yorkshire, which restricted the home side to 242 for 9. Only Rob Yates (72) ventured beyond the cameo stage as Warwickshire came in around 40 under par.
Yorkshire then reached 246 for 4 with 33 balls remaining after Harry Duke launched their reply with a vibrant 60 and the chase was seen to a comfortable conclusion by William Luxton (121) and Matthew Revis (51 not out). It was a highly impressive chase in light of the loss of their two leading run-scorers in this year's tournament – captain Shan Masood (international duty) and James Wharton (ankle injury).
Yorkshire's campaign remains alive ahead of their final group game at Glamorgan next Wednesday while Warwickshire's defeat was a missed opportunity but they remain strongly-placed in the Group B table ahead of their last match, against Nottinghamshire at Rugby.
Leicester: Leicestershire 271-8, Glamorgan 262 - Leicestershire win by nine runs
Australian international Peter Handscomb rescued Leicestershire from 59 for 5 with a superb 103 to set up a winning score against previously unbeaten Group B leaders Glamorgan and keep the defending champions in contention for the knock-out stages of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
Chasing 272 after seamer Timm van der Gugten had taken 5 for 49, Glamorgan were all out for 262, with Foxes left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis their star man with the ball, taking 4 for 54 to go with the 47 he made with the bat in a vital 103-run partnership with Handscomb for Leicestershire's seventh wicket, although ex-Glamorgan man Roman Walker ran him close, taking the last three wickets for figures of 3 for 40 to seal a nine-run victory.
Veteran Colin Ingram top scored for the Welsh side with 68. His dismissal to Trevaskis with 75 still needed from 55 balls looked to have swung the balance heavily towards the home side, but a List A career-best 61 from Dan Douthwaite took the contest into the penultimate over.
The result puts Lewis Hill's side on 10 points, one behind Glamorgan and Warwickshire – who also surrendered their unbeaten record against Yorkshire – and two ahead of Gloucestershire and Yorkshire.
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