Brett D’Oliveira’s List A best 138 led Worcestershire Rapids to a four wicket victory over Derbyshire Falcons in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group A match at Repton School.
Rapids skipper Jake Libby made 69 before 19-year-old Dan Lategan scored an unbeaten 42 off 39 balls on his first team debut to take the Rapids to their target of 316 with 11 balls to spare.
Caleb Jewell made 113 off 107 balls and Matt Montgomery 92 before the Falcons lost their last five wickets for 25 to be bowled out for 315.
The Rapids were in trouble at 11 for 2 but D’Oliveira and Libby revived them before Lategan saw them over the line.
There was a sell-out crowd as first team cricket returned to Repton School for the first time since 1988 and the Falcons made a solid start after they were put in.
Jewell and Harry Came took the score to 46 before Came pulled Kurram Shahzad into the hands of leg slip.
But that was the Rapids last success for 24 overs as Jewell and Montgomery took full advantage of a good batting pitch.
After reaching 50 from 57 balls, Jewell pulled Ben Allison for six and swept D’Oliveira for another maximum with 15 coming from his first over.
Jewell surged towards his century which came off 96 balls by driving and sweeping D’Oliveira for two more fours before pulling Ethan Brookes over the ropes.
Montgomery drove Brookes down the ground for four to go to his first 50 for the Falcons and the stand was worth 150 when Jewell skied a cut at Brookes into the covers.
Brooke Guest missed a cut at Fateh Singh and the left arm spinner ended Montomery’s fine innings by having him caught behind.
Amrit Basra drove Allison to mid on and the Falcons hopes of a total above 350 crumbled as the last five wickets fell in six overs.
After Martin Andersson was lbw to Singh, Allison had Ross Whiteley caught at short mid-wicket and bowled Zak Chappell before Shahzad cleaned up.
Even so, a target of 316 was a challenging one and it looked even tougher when the Rapids lost two wickets in the first four overs.
Isaac Mohammed was dropped at second slip without a run on the board but failed to take advantage, slicing Ben Aitchison to third man.
Rory Haydon beat Kashif Ali’s drive but D’Oliveira and Libby regrouped before asserting themselves on the bowlers.
D’Oliveira cut and drove Haydon for sixes on his way to a run a ball 50 and with Libby easing the ball into the gaps, the momentum swung towards the Rapids.
D’Oliveira took three fours from a Chappell over as he accelerated to an 84 ball hundred but Haydon returned to give the game another twist.
He bowled Libby to end a stand of 183 in 28 overs and then deceived Brookes who chipped to short mid-wicket.
Dan Lategan pulled Haydon for six and with 67 needed from the last 10 overs, drove Jack Morley for another maximum.
When he went for a repeat, Aitchison took the catch at long on only to step on the rope but Morley hit back by bowling D’Oliveira.
Henry Cullen sliced to cover but Lategan showed nerve and skill to settle an absorbing contest.
50-over cricket at the height of summer!
The Metro Bank One-Day Cup is back for the school holidays, with plenty of Falcons action still to come!
After an East Midlands Derby victory against Notts Outlaws, we still have two huge fixtures at The Central Co-op County Ground, with the Tap Takeover fixture against Surrey, with Shiny Brewery, and the Community Fixture against Essex.
