One-Day Cup: Group stage set for dramatic final day after stunning Sunday
- Published
Dom Sibley hit 113 for Warwickshire as they beat Durham, falling just two runs shy of his List A best score
The final day of a thrilling One-Day Cup group stage will see 11 teams competing for just six places in the knockout stages.
Gloucestershire's five-wicket win over Middlesex on Sunday means four teams go into the final round of fixtures on Tuesday level on 10 points in Group A.
Top spot in either group ensures an automatic place in the semi-finals.
Wins for Warwickshire, Yorkshire and Hampshire mean 11 teams still have hope of a quarter-final across both groups.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Warwickshire's win over Durham means the top six in Group A are separated by just two points going into the final day, with the knowledge that three of those six will miss out on the knockout stages altogether.
In Group B, Hampshire's three-wicket win over Essex puts them in pole position for a direct route into the last four. Essex, however, can no longer make the knockout stages.
Hampshire can ensure top spot with victory over Yorkshire in their final group game at Scarborough, and should they do so, that would open the door for Kent and even holders Glamorgan in sixth, to reach the quarter-finals.
Yorkshire boosted their chances of a knockout match by edging victory in a low-scoring match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield by a single wicket.
Group A
Gloucestershire stayed alive in the race for the quarter-finals with a fine five-wicket win over Middlesex at Radlett.
After coming together at 19-2, Pieter Malan and Sam Robson put on 125 for the hosts' third wicket with Malan reaching 81 before becoming Zafar Gohar's final victim in his 4-38.
Robson registered a fourth consecutive half-century, making a gritty 59, but Martin Andersson (31 not out) was the only other score of note.
Ajeet Singh Dale took a superb diving catch on the fine-leg boundary to oust Max Holden and then claimed his maiden List A wickets in the final few overs as the hosts posted 256-9 from their 50 overs.
Gloucestershire made a superb fist of their reply thanks largely to Ben Charlesworth, who fell to Andersson just three runs shy of scoring a maiden List A century.
Charlesworth and Marcus Harris (57) put on 141 for the second wicket and, although they lost a flurry of wickets, Jack Taylor's unbeaten 48, coupled with 23 not out from Gohar helped the visitors over the line with 17 balls in hand.
Dom Sibley struck a superb century as Warwickshire kept alive their chances of a place in the knockout stages with a 48-run victory over Durham at Edgbaston.
The some-time England right-hander put on 98 for the opening wicket with Rob Yates (52) and the score was 232-2 when he fell to Oliver Gibson, the pick of the Durham bowlers (3-55).
The hosts eventually posted an imposing 275-6, taking wickets at regular intervals in the reply to keep the visitors at arm's length.
Graham Clark provided the only real resistance with 70 and, when Oliver Hannon-Dalby (4-39) had the dangerous George Drissell caught by Sibley for 37, the game was up as the visitors lost their final four wickets in the space of 17 balls.
Group B
Yorkshire kept alive their hopes of a quarter-final place with a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Derbyshire at Queen's Park, Chesterfield.
After putting the hosts in, Yorkshire took charge to reduce the hosts to 28-3 in the 12th over. Harry Came hung around to make 19 from 87 balls, but none of his teammates could surpass his score and the hosts faltered from 105-7 to 109 all out with more than seven overs to spare. Jack Shutt claimed 2-5 while Ben Coad collected 2-15 from his 10 overs.
There were nerves aplenty when the visitors were reduced to 37-4 in reply, with Sam Conners striking early on his way to figures of 5-28. However Matthew Waite's quickfire 23 and George Hill's more stoic 21 from 48 balls steered them towards the finishing line.
When Hill was the eighth man to go his side still needed nine runs but, although Coad followed him back to the pavilion with the scores tied, Harris Sullivan hit the winning run in the 32nd over.
That win, coupled with Hampshire's narrow win over Essex, saw Yorkshire leapfrog Essex into third place in the table going into the final day.
After winning the toss at the Ageas Bowl, the visitors raced out of the blocks to reach 44-0 in six overs, but were 48-3 soon after and limped to 134-7.
It needed Shane Snater to rattle 64 at better than a run-a-ball, putting on 96 for the eighth wicket with Jamal Richards (31 not out) as Essex reached 257-8, with Ben Allison cracking two sixes in an unbeaten late 21.
Having ost for the first time in 14 matches on Friday, Hampshire were in no mood to let it happen again as Tom Prest paced the reply superbly with 76 from 104 deliveries.
Despite Snater's 3-46 with the ball, Toby Albert's swashbuckling 34 inside the final 10 overs helped keep the target within reach and Ian Holland (21 not out) found the ropes three times in quick succession to see Hampshire home with three wickets, and 10 balls to spare, and end Essex's hopes of a knockout match.
Remaining fixtures
Tuesday
Group A:
Leicestershire v Durham (Leicester)
Nottinghamshire v Surrey (Welbeck)
Sussex v Middlesex (Hove)
Warwickshire v Somerset (Edgbaston)
Group B:
Kent v Lancashire (Canterbury)
Northamptonshire v Derbyshire (Wantage Road)
Worcestershire v Glamorgan (New Road)
Yorkshire v Hampshire (North Marine Road, Scarborough)
Quarter-Finals: 26 August
Semi-Finals: 30 August
Final: 17 September (Trent Bridge)