A career best List A score of 110* from Rob Jones guided Worcestershire Rapids to an important five-wicket win over Glamorgan and keep them on track for a quarter-final place in the Metro Bank One Day Cup.
Asa Tribe had earlier batted through Glamorgan’s innings for 122 in his side’s impressive total of 297 and looked to be in control early in the reply as they reduced the hosts to 78-3.
A staggering fourth wicket partnership of 172 between Jake Libby (77) and Jones anchored the chase for Worcestershire, as they swung the momentum back in the favour of the home side.
Jones was imperious as he carried his bat, hitting the winning runs in the 49th over having steered the Rapids to a thrilling win and consolidate their charge for a quarter-final spot in Group A.
Worcestershire welcomed Glamorgan to Visit Worcestershire New Road for the first time since 2023 looking to re-establish their grip on a Metro Bank One Day Cup quarter-final birth.
Alan Richardson shuffled his pack, making three changes to the match day eleven, with Dan Lategan, Rob Jones and Ben Allison all returning to the side who entered the field first after another successful toss.
The visitors enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges, with the basement side showing plenty of confidence as they strode past 50 in the 10th over, with Worcestershire’s bowlers not having it all their own way.
Ben Allison (2-49) soon changed that narrative however, when he removed Eddie Byrom for a well-made 41 courtesy of an excellent catch from Henry Cullen, who made no mistake under a steepling high catch.
The ever-reliable Tom Taylor produced another economical first spell going at just four an over, but was unable to make a breakthrough as the Rapids fought hard while Glamorgan reached three figures and youngster Henry Hurle began to free his arms.
Matthew Waite held down an end, but his best efforts went unrewarded as Hurle and Asa Tribe paired in dismissive fashion, adding 104 for the second wicket, as confidence grew and the mis-firing Rapids bowlers were put to the sword.
In the absence of Fateh Singh, it was Brett D’Oliveira who took the mantle as the hosts’ primary spinner, wasting no time making his presence felt, clean bowling the dangerous Hurle for 56, gifting the home side a vital opening.
From 179-2, the Rapids showed excellent resolve to fight their way back into the contest, taking three quick wickets and check Glamorgan’s progress at 205-5.
Kieran Carlson was the first of the cluster of three wickets to fall, as he succumbed to Allison, before D’Oliveira (2-46) picked up his second wicket of an instrumental spell as he had Smale caught smartly on the boundary by Dan Lategan.
Waite’s metronomical afternoon with the ball saw him gain his just deserts when Billy Root feathered a full ball behind to Cullen, as the medium-pacer ended his spell shortly after with outstanding figures of 10-2-23-1.
Dan Douthwaite joined the not-out opener, and upped the ante from the get-go, taking Glamorgan beyond the 250 mark, before Tribe notched his maiden List A century with the final ball of the 46th over.
Douthwaite’s cameo of 37 from 26 balls was cut-short at the death when he was caught by Kashif Ali off a Tom Taylor delivery, and the same duo combined to remove Andy Gorvin shortly after.
Tribe, however, carried his bat for an outstanding 122 not-out that saw his side finish on an above par 297-7.
Worcestershire were pegged back in response, losing D’Oliveira in the first over when he was bowled looking to advance down the wicket form the third ball of the innings.
The hosts made an otherwise positive start to the chase however, largely due to a composed knock for 19-year-old Dan Lategan, that saw Worcestershire pass fifty without further damage.
Striking six fours and two sixes, Lategan looked to play his shots and be the one who would anchor the innings for his side from the top.
The 17th over of the reply proved costly however, as the hosts lost both of their set batters – with Carlson taking a stunning one-handed catch at extra cover to remove Kashif for 22, before a catastrophic mix up involving Jake Libby saw Lategan run-out four short of a maiden List A fifty.
The onus fell on Libby and new man Rob Jones to guide the home side out of their troubling position at 78-3, a job they carried out to excellent effect.
Batting with poise, Jones made his way to a fabulous fifty on his first appearance in the side since injuring his hand earlier in the tournament, returning to form at just the right time for his side.
After enjoying a stellar competition of his own, Jake Libby put the earlier mix-up involving Lategan behind him as he showed a full repertoire of shots on his way to a fine 57-ball fifty, his fourth of the competition to date.
With Worcestershire now enjoying their best period of the game, the partnership moved past 150 and the Rapids’ score beyond 225 as the Glamorgan bowlers struggled to find a way to halt the home side’s progress.
The 172-run partnership was eventually ended when Andy Gorvin took a fine catch running back over his head to dismiss Libby for 77, with the departing skipper’s side still requiring 48 from the final six overs.
Visit Worcestershire New Road soon rose to its feet to celebrate a sensational hundred from Rob Jones, a 101-ball innings of vital importance for his side, with the run chase nearing it’s climax.
Even the departure of Ethan Brookes in the dying stages did not deter the home side, as Henry Cullen batted through with the not-out Jones to see the Rapids to a crucial five-wicket victory.
