One-Day Cup: Glamorgan miss out despite Sam Northeast record at Worcester

Glamorgan batter Sam Northeast returned from illness to take a starring role

One-Day Cup holders Glamorgan missed out on a quarter-final place despite some brilliant hitting from Sam Northeast in their 19-run away win against Worcestershire at New Road.

Rivals Kent fought back for victory over Lancashire to take third spot.

Northeast's magnificent 177 not out was a record Glamorgan score in limited-overs cricket and Billy Root's unbeaten 113 equalled his career best.

Chasing 357 to win, Worcestershire made 337-9, with Ben Cox 84 not out.

Glamorgan looked out of contention with four straight losses and went into the final day in sixth place, needing three results to go their way.

The Welsh side started uncertainly as Joe Leach removed Tom Bevan and Chris Cooke in quick succession, but Kiran Carlson (41 off 33 balls) put on 95 at a run a ball with Northeast, who provided a masterclass in limited-overs batting.

He reached his 50 in 68 balls, 100 in 114 and 150 off 137 in a remorseless acceleration against Worcestershire's hapless attack, facing just 148 deliveries and hitting 22 fours and four sixes.

Northeast's innings ousted a knock of 169 not out by Jacques Rudolph from the record books, scored against Sussex at Hove in 2014.

It came just weeks after his first-class county record 410 not out at Leicester.

Root also moved up through the gears in style as he reached his century with three consecutive sixes and hit seven in total as part of a late blizzard of boundaries, which saw 161 runs come off the last 12 overs.

They eclipsed the previous fourth-wicket record stand of 234 set by Root himself and Chris Cooke in Bristol three years previously.

Worcestershire lost two early wickets to James Weighell but gave a really good show of chasing their improbable target.

Jake Libby hit 58 off 59 balls and Leach gave the visitors a real scare with 63 off 36 balls before skying a catch to Northeast off Joe Cooke.

Spinner Prem Sisodiya (3-76) was expensive but took important wickets in the closing stages, as Cox could not quite get his strike-rate high enough to threaten an upset.

By this stage rivals Yorkshire had lost but Kent were nearing victory over Lancashire at Canterbury.

As their fielders checked on scores elsewhere, Glamorgan held on more comfortably than the margin suggested.

But a dropped chance by Lancashire in the last over saw Kent scramble home off the penultimate ball to deny Glamorgan a surprise place in the knockout stages.

They finished fourth in the nine-team group, while Worcestershire were bottom despite two wins in their last three games.

Glamorgan's Sam Northeast told BBC Sport Wales:

"It feels good to have the record, happy with the batting performance. We did the job but we're disappointed we didn't qualify and the sense in the changing-room is that we should have qualified.

"It's a really good pitch and it feels like a small ground when you're out there, so you can catch up at the end of the innings. We had to rebuild and then there was a bit of an onslaught at the end.

"It was nice to go past my previous best and get back into form and always nice to set a new record.

"It's disappointing that in the middle period of the campaign we couldn't get momentum back, but we managed to stop that losing streak with two good wins and there's a better feel around the camp going back into the County Championship."

Glamorgan's Billy Root told BBC Sport Wales:

"Pretty mixed emotions, it's difficult when it's out of your control and we needed results to go our way.

"I love this ground. It's always nice to come here (after hitting 99 not out in Glamorgan's Championship win) and nice to play with Sam who's in great form.

"Good luck to the guys who have qualified, I think defending the title it's been a bit disappointing. At times we've played some good stuff and just a shame we didn't get one more win."

Worcestershire captain Jake Libby told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"The scoreboard flattered us a bit at the end. We were a bit off, disappointed about how we finished with the ball and they got slightly too many runs from the situation we were in to start with.

"The run chase wasn't a million miles off but we didn't quite get the big scores we needed. Sam and Rooty took the game away from us, fair play to them.

"I, t was a challengebut we've got young bowlers learning their trade and guys who haven't bowled death overs a lot. They're learning, I'm learning and hopefully we can get better as a group."