Worcestershire 307 for 8 (Cullen 72, Kashif 65, Lategan 64) beat Hampshire 303 (Prest 70, Singh 3-81)
Worcestershire Rapids continued their strong start to their defence of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup with a thrilling four-run victory over Hampshire at Worcester.
In a clash between last year's finalists, The Rapids amassed 307 for 8 thanks to Henry Cullen (72 from 56 balls), Kashif Ali (65, 63) and Dan Lategan 64 (75). Harry Petrie and James Fuller took two wickets apiece.
Hampshire fell just short on 303 all out from 49.4 overs despite Tom Prest's 70 (55), Nick Gubbins' 57 (69) and a thunderous late 22-ball 48 from Andrew Neal. All five Rapids bowlers took wickets to maintain their side's 100 per cent record in the group and leave Hampshire nursing successive defeats to follow their opening-game win at Scarborough.
Put in, The Rapids started strongly as openers Lategan and Brett D'Oliveira added 56 from 67 balls before Hampshire hit back with two wickets in seven balls. D'Oliveira skied a pull at Petrie and Gareth Roderick flicked Fuller to deep fine leg.
Lategan reached his third List A half-century (63 balls) and looked set fair to turn it into his maiden List A ton when he was called for a quixotic single by Jake Libby and beaten by Fletcha Middleton's throw. When Libby followed back to the pavilion four overs later, caught and bowled by Prest, the Rapids were 126 for 4 and needed rebooting.
Ali and Cullen did the necessary with a stand of 132 in 17 overs before both fell in three balls. Ali skied a slog at Fuller and Cullen, his maiden List A half-century banked, steered Petrie to short third, but some clean hitting from the lower order took the total over 300.
Hampshire's innings also began solidly as Gubbins and Ali Orr added 61 in 15 overs but was then pegged back by three wickets in eight overs. Orr played on to Ben Allison, Middleton leading-edged Harry Darley to extra cover and skipper Gubbins, having completed a compact half-century, lifted Tom Taylor to cover.
Ashutosh swing Matthew Waite for six but lofted the next ball to mid off. From 116 for four, Lehmann and Prest rebuilt carefully but, though Prest hit Fateh Singh for three successive fours, it was an isolated flurry of acceleration as the Rapids' bowlers applied mid-innings pressure. Hampshire entered the last ten overs needing 115.
A straight six off Allison took Prest to a 44-ball fifty but, as that pressure increased, Lehmann (48, 65) sent up a skier off Taylor to end the fifth-wicket stand at 105 from 14 overs. When Prest chopped Singh to backward point, Hampshire needed two new batters, and the lower order, to find 82 from 40 balls.
The furious assault from Neal left 11 needed from the last over to be bowled by Singh. A huge six from the second ball had Worcester's nerves jangling but an edge to the keeper from the fourth sealed the home side's victory.
