Counties confirmed for One-Day Cup knock-out stages

Glamorgan and Somerset were the two sides to end up with home semi-finals as the One-Day Cup group games came to a mostly predictable climax – with one bizarre twist.

Warwickshire, the other side to have already qualified, were joined in the knockout stages by neighbours Worcestershire, holders Leicestershire and last year’s beaten finalists Hampshire.

But, although Worcestershire’s defeat by Lancashire did not cost them second place in Group A, they cannot now host Friday’s quarter-final because their New Road ground is currently hosting England Lions v Sri Lanka.

Instead, they must now play it away – and that will be against Midlands neighbours Warwickshire at Edgbaston after the Bears lost their final group game and could only finish third in Group B.

The winners of Friday’s derby will then go on to take on Glamorgan in Cardiff on Sunday.

Sunday’s other semi will be between Group A winner Somerset and the winners of Friday’s quarter-final between Leicestershire and Hampshire, a repeat of last year’s final.

Derbyshire beat Durham in a meeting of two other clubs who started the day with hopes, but they missed out on qualification as Hampshire, who beat Middlesex, have a superior net run rate, while Gloucestershire missed out in the head-to-head winner-takes-all meeting with the Foxes.

Worcestershire just fell short of a late victory charge in Manchester as they lost by just three runs to Lancashire in the day’s most exciting finish.

Josh Bohannon hit 87 as the hosts totalled 237 – and when visiting skipper Jake Libby went for 83, followed by Tom Taylor for 41, all hope seemed lost.

Young Tom Hinley’s 17-ball 24 gave the young Pears hope in a ninth-wicket stand of 36, but Venkatesh Iyer dismissed both him, caught in the deep, and Harry Darley with successive deliveries to complete a dramatic win.

Derbyshire did all that was asked of them as they beat Durham by four wickets in a game of over 500 runs at Chester-le-Street, despite a maiden List A century for the hosts’ Scott Borthwick.

His 104 anchored Durham as they were eventually bowled out for 253, after Derbyshire teenager Harry Moore took 3-45.

David Lloyd (63) and Harry Came (45) got Derbyshire off to a good start before four wickets from Ben Raine, but Anuj Dal (25) and Zak Chappell (22) wrapped up victory with seven balls to spare.

Hampshire booked their knockout place with a 19-run win over Middlesex at Merchant Taylors’ School.

Toby Albert hit 75, his fourth List-A half century, sharing stands of 59 with Liam Dawson (48) and 49 with Kyle Abbott (20 not out) as the visitors totalled 276-7.

Middlesex were in the hunt when Mark Stoneman (53) and Jack Davis (46) shared a stand of 90 for the fourth wicket, but Pakistan fast bowler Muhammad Abbas returned to remove both and Kyle Abbott (4-48) helped bowl out Middlesex for 257 with 11 balls left.

In the one game that did not matter in Group A, Northants made short work of Kent, as they won by nine wickets shortly after the scheduled lunchtime.

India’s Yuzvendra Chahal, whose signing was only confirmed an hour before the start of play, made a stunning debut against his former club, taking 5-14 as the hosts were skittled for just 82 in 35.1 overs, backed by Justin Broad (3-16).

Northants then needed just 14 overs to reach their target, James Sales finishing on 32 with George Bartlett on 31 as the visitors closed on 86-1, to claim only their second victory of this year’s competition.

Glamorgan comfortably made it six wins out of eight to top Group B as they booked Sunday’s home semi-final with a 62-run win over Yorkshire at Sophia Gardens.

In a game reduced to 47 overs a side after early rain, Yorkshireman Billy Root’s 66, including a 56-run ninth-wicket stand with Timm van der Gugten, helped the hosts to 230-9.

But Andy Gorvin took 4-35, aided by Ben Kelleway (3-33) as Yorkshire were then bowled out for 168.

Leicestershire booked second place by beating Gloucestershire by four wickets on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern Method at Bristol.

Chasing a revised target of 196 in a contest reduced by rain to 36 overs a side, the Foxes registered their fifth win in six games with 14 balls to spare, thanks to a fourth-wicket stand between India’s Ajinkya Rahane (62) and Australia’s Peter Handscomb (65 not out).

Warwickshire still qualified for a home quarter-final despite ending the group stage with back-to-back defeats, this time by Nottinghamshire in another rain-hit DLS game at Rugby School.

Skipper Ed Barnard top scored with 31 as the Bears were bowled out for 182 in 46.3 overs, thanks largely to Robert Lord (3-24) and Liam Patterson-White (3-26).

Jack Haynes then hit 57 in Notts’ reply as the visitors, chasing an original DLS target of 173 in 38 overs, closed on 135-5 after 28 to win by 12 runs.

Sussex finished bottom of Group B after losing to fellow strugglers Essex by five wickets at Hove.

Jamie Porter picked up four wickets with the new ball as Sussex collapsed to 50-6 before skipper John Simpson hit 69 to spark a lower-order recovery. But Essex made short work of chasing down the hosts’ total of 226-9.

Skipper Tom Westley led the way with 77, aided by Luc Benkenstein (49), as the visitors won on 227-5 with 28 balls to spare.

Friday 16 August

Quarter-Finals

Edgbaston: Worcestershire v Warwickshire

Leicester: Leicestershire v Hampshire

Sunday 18 August

Semi-Finals

Sophia Gardens: Glamorgan v Worcestershire or Warwickshire

Taunton: Somerset v Leicestershire or Hampshire

Sunday 22 September

Trent Bridge: The One-Day Cup Final