Worcestershire Rapids became the last side to lose their unbeaten record in Group A of the Metro Bank One Day Cup when they went down by 130 runs to Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Wantage Road.
The Rapids had turned on the style to win their opening three games against Middlesex, Durham and Derbyshire and went into the game as Group leaders.
But they came off second best against the Steelbacks and will now be looking to quickly bounce back in Wednesday’s encounter with Kent at Visit Worcestershire New Road (11am start|).
Worcestershire fought back well with the ball after the home side had seemed set at one stage to score in excess of 300 after reaching 215-1 with still 10 overs to go after Prithvi Shaw’s rapid 72 from 59 balls.
Spinner Fateh Singh continued his encouraging form with 3-51 from his 10 over spell and the wickets of George Bartlett, Saif Zaib and James Sales.
Ethan Brookes again excelled with the accuracy and tightness of his bowling in conceding just 36 runs in his full quota of overs split into two spells.
It followed on from his equally impressive 1-31 in 10 overs in the win against Derbyshire.
Northamptonshire lost five wickets in scoring 80 runs between overs 41 and 50 and closed on 295-6.
But Worcestershire faced an uphill struggle in reply after losing the top three in the batting order during the initial 10 over powerplay against some challenging bowling from Ben Sanderson and Jack White on a used pitch.
Tom Taylor hit an aggressive half century against his former county and was well supported by the ever reliable Libby during a stand of 79.
Libby just had time to complete his third fifty in four knocks in this year’s tournament before Worcestershire were dismissed for 165 in exactly 39 overs.
Worcestershire made one change from the side which overcame Derbyshire with Tom Taylor returning to the side against his former county in place of the rested Jack Home.
Tommy Sturgess, who played into the opening two games against Middlesex and Durham, was ruled out through illness.
Libby won the toss and put the Steelbacks into bat on a greenish looking surface.
Shaw looked in good touch and produced a series of early boundaries as the 50 came up in the seventh over.
The Indian international player completed a 36 ball half century out of 70-0 in the initial 10 over powerplay.
Shaw had a piece of good fortune on 68 when he sliced Hishaam Khan on the off side and the ball fell in between three fielders.
But there was joy in the same over for Khan when Shaw (72) went to try and hook a short delivery and feathered through to keeper Gareth Roderick at 108-1 in the 18th over.
Khan punched the air in delight after picking up his first wicket for Worcestershire and was congratulated by his team-mates.
Brookes came into the attack and immediately settled into a good line in a tight five over opening spell in which he conceded only 14 runs.
Ricardo Vasconcelos had played the supporting role to Shaw and completed an 85 ball half century.
Number three Bartlett reached the same milestone off 60 deliveries and added 107 with Vasconcelos.
The return to the attack of Singh brought about a second breakthrough during what was the only maiden over of the innings.
Bartlett (60) backed away to the on-side and scooped up a catch to Hinley at backward point.
Libby brought himself into the attack for the 41st over and struck with his first delivery when Vasconcelos (68) made room to cut and chopped onto his stumps.
Brookes returned to complete a fine spell and then James Sales (10) aimed a drive at Singh and was bowled.
There was more joy for the on loan Nottinghamshire player when Saif Zaib (26) went for a drive and was pouched by Taylor at point.
Taylor then struck with the ball himself as Lewis McManus (11) holed out on the mid-wicket boundary in the penultimate over.
When Worcestershire batted, Ed Pollock smashed Jack White over the mid wicket boundary in the second over of the innings.
But the batters were given a searching examination by the new ball combination of White and Sanderson.
Pollock was dropped at mid on in the same over and scrambled a single but the next delivery saw Roderick (1), a century-maker in two of his previous three innings, edge to first slip.
Rob Jones, who hit a century in the corresponding match last summer, turned Sanderson off his legs for his first boundary.
Pollock (9) was bowled aiming a legside blow at White to a delivery which appeared to keep a bit low.
Jones (6) then fell to a reflex catch by Vasconcelos at a deepish short leg position off Sanderson at 22-3.
Justin Broad replaced Sanderson and in his third over Brookes (4) went lbw after pushing firmly forward.
Three balls later Rehaan Edavalath (0) aimed a drive at Broad and fell at first slip.
Taylor got off the mark by cover driving Broad for four and then straight drove Gus Miller for another boundary.
White bowled his 10 over quota in one marathon spell from the Lynn Wilson Centre End and ended with 2-26.
Taylor had aggressive intentions and collected successive boundaries off Broad after he had switched ends before swatting a Gus Miller delivery over the mid-wicket boundary.
He completed his half century off just 38 balls with two sixes and eight fours while Libby continued to knock the ball around in untroubled manner for ones and twos.
The stand was broken when Taylor (57) pushed forward to Zaib in the first over after the drinks break and was lbw.
Singh (15) also went on the offensive in sweeping Zaib for six and then hitting him straight back down the ground for another maximum before top-edging Freddie Heldreich to short fine leg attempting a pull.
Khan (1) and Hinley (0) fell in the space of three balls to Zaib, bowled and caught at long on respectively.
A single off Zaib took Libby to his half century with four boundaries from 68 balls before last man Harry Darley (8) was caught behind off Broad.
Worcestershire One Day Cup skipper Jake Libby said: “To be fair, I thought we weren’t at our best today with bat or ball.
“They showed us how to play cricket on that wicket if we are being honest but it’s still three wins from four so I don’t want to get too down about it.
“We’ve still got off to a good start in the competition but I just don’t think we were at our best today.
“I thought the surface was tough. I thought there was a little bit in it for the bowlers. They bowled really well.
“We came up against a high class player in Prithvi Shaw, let’s not beat around the bush, he is exceptional for this level and got them off to a really good start.
“That was probably the difference with the bat for them and the two openers (Ben Sanderson and Jack White) bowled really well.
“They are two high class bowlers and it was almost four-day cricket for a large part at the start of our innings.
“We weren’t able to adapt, we weren’t able to keep wickets intact, and I think it was always going to be quite a big score to chase on that wicket.”
