A stunning 138 from Brett D’Oliveira saw Worcestershire ease to a four-wicket win over Derbyshire Falcons as the Rapids chased down 315 in style to maintain their unbeaten start in Group A of the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Electing to bowl first at Repton, the visitors were made to work hard in the heat as three wickets apiece for Ben Allison, Fateh Singh and Khurram Shahzad saw the Falcons collapse from 267-3 to 315 all-out after an excellent bowling fightback.
In response, it was D’Oliveira’s century that anchored the chase, as a mammoth stand of 183 with Jake Libby (69) for the second-wicket put the away side in the driving seat.
When D’Oliveira was eventually out for a career-best List A score, it was a late cameo of 42 not-out from debutant Dan Lategan that helped Worcestershire to another impressive win.
Back on the road after an impressive win over Hampshire earlier in the week, Worcestershire Rapids arrived at the cricketing cathedral that is Repton School Ground to face mid-table Derbyshire Falcons, in search of a third win on the bounce.
Captain Jake Libby won the toss and elected to field first, with Wednesday’s comfortable run-chase undoubtedly a factor in the decision, as both sides were presented with idyllic batting conditions.
Into the side came debutant Dan Lategan, as well as Khurram Shahzad for the rested Adam Finch and Jack Home.
On a small ground with a lightning-fast outfield, the hosts made their way to 46 without loss, before Khurram had Harry Came caught in sharp fashion by Isaac Mohammed at short fine-leg.
The home side enjoyed the better of the ensuing exchanges, as they made their way past 100 without further damage and the Rapids bowlers continued to search for a breakthrough in the unrelenting heat.
Ben Allison and Ethan Brookes entered the fray without any initial success, as Derbyshire pushed on towards 200 with relative comfort.
Caleb Jewell made his way to a superb 100 at a rate better than a run a ball, as he and Matthew Montgomery piled on 150 for the second wicket, before Jewell’s fine innings of 113 was ended when Dan Lategan took a composed catch on the boundary.
After spending the opening 36 overs on the back foot, the Rapids bowlers soon hit back, enforcing a collapse from the hosts that saw them fall from 267-3 to 303-9.
An efficient spell from Fateh Singh proved fruitful for the away side, with the spinner returning excellent figures of 3-58, as he bowled Brooke Guest for 21 before proceeding to remove the dangerous Matthew Montgomery (92) who was closing in on a century of his own.
At 267-4 in the 39th over, the visitors continued to stage a vital comeback against the run of play, having been staring down the barrel of chasing a score upwards of 375 at one stage.
Allison returned to have Basra caught cheaply, while Singh pinned Andersson LBW for 28, before Allison had Whiteley (6) caught by Jake Libby at short mid-wicket and bowled Chappell for one, to finish with figures of 3-51 and put the away side into the ascendency.
With the Derbyshire middle-order ripped apart, the Worcestershire tails were up, as Khurram (3-49) hit back in style, picking up the final two wickets in the 46th and 48th over, as the away side took the remaining seven Falcons wickets for just 48 runs, recovering in fine style to restrict the home side to 315 all-out.
The Rapid’s pursuit was put under immediate strain, as Isaac (8) and Kashif Ali (1) were dismissed in successive overs, with Kashif on the end of a near enough unplayable delivery that pinged the top of his off-stump.
D’Oliveira rallied in style, punching two sixes in the eighth over over the short boundaries, while Jake Libby eased his way into his innings in stereotypically composed style as they guided their side past fifty in the 11th over.
Having played themselves in quickly, the pair capitalised on the short boundary as scoring became free flowing and a combination of quality stroke play and some lacklustre fielding saw D’Oliveira reach a second fifty in successive matches, reaching the milestone at a run a ball, with five fours and three sixes along the way.
The welcome and timely return to form of the 33-year-old has seen D’Oliveira play some of his best cricket of the season, exemplified by his ease to rotate the strike and freedom to clear the boundary almost at will.
The effect was apparent on Libby at the other end, who played with similar confidence as he caressed the ball through the covers and latched onto anything short, with their partnership passing 100 and the team total moving beyond 150 in the 24th over, showing no signs of halting.
Libby raised his bat as he reached his third fifty in four games so far in this year’s competition, looking at his imperious best as he kept his side right in the contest.
The crowning moment came shortly after for D’Oliveira, who trotted down to the non-strikers end in effortless fashion and collected the single he needed to chalk-up his second List A century for the Rapids and take the applause of supporters and teammates alike after a stunning knock that saw him past 1500 List A runs for Worcestershire.
Celebrations were cut short however, when the mammoth 183 run partnership between the two was ended in abrupt style as Libby was beaten by a length ball for a well-made 69.
The loss of Ethan Brookes (9) did not derail the chase, as much-talked about youngster Dan Lategan strode to the middle for his first innings in List A cricket.
The exciting prospect showed exactly why there has been so much talk about his recent signing, as he found the boundary with ease and rotated strike at will.
D’Oliveira was given a reprieve when the umpires overturned the decision to give him out after taking the view that Derbyshire’s Ben Aitchison had stepped over the rope in his efforts to catch him deep on the boundary, but his innings was ended for good when he was bowled on 138.
Henry Cullen produced a sprightly 26 to take the Rapids within touching distance, but it was Lategan who knocked off the winning runs in the 49th over, as he finished on an eye catching 42 not-out, with the Rapids securing a four-wicket win and extending their unbeaten run at the start of an impressive 50-over campaign.
