Despite defeat, Worcestershire bank 'home' semi-final spot

Lancashire secured a thrilling 3-run victory over Worcestershire in the recent match. Lancashire scored 237 runs, with Rob Jones top-scoring with 87 runs, while Hinley took 3 wickets for Worcestershire. In response, Worcestershire managed to score 234 runs, with Libby hitting 83 runs and Barnard picking up 3 wickets for Lancashire. The tight contest came down to the wire, but Lancashire emerged victorious in the end.

Worcestershire's cricketers secured a home-quarter-final against Warwickshire - albeit at Edgbaston with New Road hosting England Lions versus Sri Lanka - in the Metro-Bank One-Day Cup despite losing to Lancashire by three runs in their last Group A game at Emirates Old Trafford.

Although they restricted their hosts to 237, Worcestershire struggled on a pitch where run-scoring rarely looked easy and were indebted to skipper Jake Libby, whose innings of 83 ensured their overall run rate did not suffer.

Tom Hinley's 17-ball 24 had even looked to give them a chance of a dramatic victory but Venkatesh Iyer dismissed Hinley and Harry Darley with successive deliveries to grab a dramatic win

For Lancashire, this victory came as a boost after a miserable 50-over campaign. Josh Bohannon made a fine 87 and slow left-armer Charlie Barnard took three List A wickets for the first time in a disciplined bowling performance.

But Worcestershire's quicker bowlers had ensured that Lancashire made yet another indifferent start to a 50-over innings. Tom Taylor had Kesh Fonseka caught behind with the third ball of the innings and the next two wickets fell to the impressive Harry Darley, who bowled George Bell for seven and induced Rocky Flintoff to nick another catch to Gareth Roderick when the 16-year-old had made nine.

That left Lancashire on 50 for 3 in the fourteenth over but Bohannon and Iyer repaired the innings with a stand of 63 before Iyer was caught behind off Ethan Brookes for 25. By then, though, Bohannon had reached his fifty off 74 balls with a six over midwicket off Tom Hinley's left-arm wrist spin and the run-rate quickened when he and George Balderson put on 80 in 13 overs.

But having been dropped twice off Hinley in the 80s, Bohannon was caught by Rob Jones off the same bowler for 87 and the spinner continued to frustrate Lancashire's hopes of reaching 250 by having Balderson caught by Roderick for 50 and then accepting a return catch off Tom Bailey.

Harry Singh tried to supply some acceleration in the latter stages of the innings with a 24-ball 21 but Lancashire were dismissed in exactly 50 overs for 237. Hinley recovered from his earlier mauling to take three for 58 but Taylor was the pick of the Worcestershire attack with 2 for 25 from ten overs.

The start of Worcestershire's innings was marginally less impressive than Lancashire's had been. Having made 13, Ed Pollock hooked Josh Boyden to Charlie Barnard at long leg and two overs later the same bowler bowled Gareth Roderick for nine when the Worcestershire opener chopped the ball into his stumps.

When Jones skied a pull off Barnard's left-arm spin to Will Williams running round from mid-on, Worcestershire were 45 for 3 in the 13th over and in need of a recovery similar to Lancashire's.

Instead, though, Ethan Brookes was lbw when attempting to sweep Barnard for 19 and the same bowler took a comfortable catch at mid-off when Josh Cobb tried to drive Harry Singh.

Cobb's departure for eight left Worcestershire on 106 for five in the 28th over but Libby and Taylor mixed sensible strike rotation with a few big hits in an 89-run stand that left their side 43 runs short of victory.

However, Libby's dismissal, bowled by Barnard for 83, was crucial. Fateh Singh lasted only three balls and Libby was bowled by Wiliams for 41 to leave the Rapids needing 40 off 28 balls. It looked unlikely until Hinley took a hand but Iyer had the final word.