The Cricketer wraps up the best of the action from the opening round of matches in the 2024 Metro Bank One-Day Cup
Northampton: Northamptonshire 235 Derbyshire 236-8 - Derbyshire won by two wickets
Zak Chappell smashed a List A career-best unbeaten 94 to propel Derbyshire to an unlikely two-wicket victory over Northamptonshire in this One-Day Cup clash at Wantage Road.
Chappell came together with his skipper Ross Whiteley with Derbyshire in tatters at 79 for 7 chasing 236 to win, but they turned the game on its head with a record eighth wicket partnership of 131 (23.4 overs) for the visitors against any opposition.
Despite Northamptonshire's teenage pacer Raphy Weatherall sparking the initial collapse and finishing with figures of 4 for 50 on his List A debut, the momentum was all with Derbyshire as Chappell and Whiteley made hay.
Earlier Emilio Gay (59) and George Bartlett (50) each struck half-centuries in a partnership of 79 in 15 overs. Saif Zaib and Lewis McManus then picked up the mantle and looked set to propel Northamptonshire towards a competitive total during a stand of 69 in exactly 11 overs.
But their departure precipitated a Steelbacks collapse, five wickets falling for 22 in 33 balls. On a day to remember for Chappell, the quick bowler finished with career best bowling figures of 4 for 39 while veteran all-rounder Samit Patel took 3 for 41 as the hosts were bowled out for 235 in 47 overs, which looked well below par.
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Sedbergh: Durham 344-4, Lancashire 287 - Durham won by 57 runs
Captain Alex Lees starred with a superb 111 added to impressive all-round contributions from Dutch internationals Bas de Leede and Colin Ackermann as Durham claimed an opening day One-Day Cup win over Lancashire at Sedbergh School.
Opener Lees cleanly struck eight fours and a six in a 126-ball innings which underpinned 344 for 4 - Durham's sixth-highest List A total. De Leede contributed 72 off 63 and Ackermann 59 off 33.
In ideal batting conditions, and in front of approximately 2,000 spectators, Lancashire's task of chasing was tall. Josh Bohannon top-scored with an excellent career-best 147 off 119 balls, an even better innings than Lees'. But Ackermann and de Leede equally shared six wickets in 287 all out - a Durham win by 57 runs.
Ed Barnard reeled off an unbeaten 172 as Essex's 324 was eclipsed (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
New Road: Worcestershire 371-3, Middlesex 188 - Worcestershire won by 183 runs
Centurions Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick rewrote the record books in spectacular style for Worcestershire during their 183-run One Day Cup triumph over Middlesex at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The opening pair smashed 259 off just 35.2 overs – Worcestershire’s highest first wicket List A partnership against all opposition in a total of 371 for 3 from 48 overs.
A three-wicket burst with the new ball by Harry Darley, one of six Worcestershire One Day Cup debutants, pressed home his side’s advantage.
Another in Jack Home then chipped in with three wickets and, Middlesex who lost half of their side for 118 despite Mark Stoneman’s powerful 75 off 37 balls, were bowled out in just 25.4 overs.
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Tom Scriven took three wickets as the defending champions got their campaign off to a winning start (Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
Chelmsford: Essex 324-7, Warwickshire 328-3 - Warwickshire won by seven wickets
Ed Barnard continued his summer love affair with the Cloud County Ground, Chelmsford, by hammering his highest score in List A cricket.
Warwickshire's Metro Bank One-Day Cup captain followed up his personal-best 165 in the Vitality Championship reverse in May by carrying his bat with a 140-ball 173 to underpin a seven-wicket victory over Essex. Barnard, whose previous best was 161, was ably assisted in match-defining stands by Rob Yates, Will Rhodes and Michael Burgess as last year’s semi-finalists eased home with 14 balls to spare.
Essex, who won just one game in the 2023 campaign, were again on the receiving end after being put in a green-tinged wicket in front of a crowd of 2,462. And that despite Nick Browne claiming his fourth List A career half-century with seven fours, one of them all run, in an innings of 75 from 90 balls.
The left-handed opener shared stands of 51 with Feroze Khushi, 71 with Robin Das and 55 with Charlie Allison, who went on to contribute a 72-ball 69 and engage in a swashbuckling partnership of 70 with Luc Benkenstein. Olly Hannon-Dalby, meanwhile, chipped in with three wickets in nine balls to finish with 3 for 69.
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Grace Road: Leicestershire 354-6, Nottinghamshire 86-6 - Leicestershire won by 15 runs (D/L/S)
Leicestershire Foxes began their defence of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a victory over Group B rivals Notts Outlaws.
It was achieved in unexpected fashion after India Test star Ajinkya Rahane had excited his latest home crowd with a debut innings of 71 - the match coming down to the visitors trying in vain to score 55 runs from 23 balls.
The Foxes had been set to defend 370 after an impressive showing with the bat in which captain Lewis Hill top-scored with 81
The pivotal knock saw him share partnerships of 79 with Sol Budinger, who made 75, and 82 with Rahane as Leicestershire totalled 369 for 6 from their 50 overs, having been put in on a green-tinged pitch, their score bolstered by some big hitting from Ben Cox and Ben Mike at the death.
Chasing 370 would have been a tall task for an inexperienced Outlaws side had rain not left their reply stranded on 50 without loss from 10.1 overs.
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