Three days after being crowned T20 Blast champions, Northamptonshire got their One-Day Cup campaign off to a winning start in a thrilling high-scoring game against Warwickshire at Wantage Road.
Bears captain Sam Hain’s 80 and a first half-century from 20-year-old Theo Wylie (65) set the platform for the visitors, who both fell to Raphy Weatherall (4-56).
Luke Procter, one of four members playing in Saturday night’s triumph over Hampshire, then conceded 23 runs off his last two overs to take the visitors beyond 300.
But two of that Northants quartet – Ricardo Vasconcelos and captain Nathan McSweeney – hit half-centuries as the Steelbacks made a confident assault on the 313 needed.
The pair put on 65 before Vasconcelos was run out for 64 but George Bartlett’s attacking 72 off 63 balls ensured momentum never dropped.
Wicketkeeper Lewis McManus (27 off 19 balls) and Aadi Sharma (14 off 12) powered Northants home with five wickets and eight deliveries to spare.
Elsewhere in Group A, despite being without 17 players because of Hundred commitments, Surrey’s squad depth was again evident in their seven-wicket win against Lancashire.
Michael Jones’ run-a-minute, unbeaten 67 provided the third half-century in the Red Rose’s 280-5, with others from Keaton Jennings (64) and Australia’s Marcus Harris (60).
But Surrey made an excellent start with Dom Sibley (65) and Ryan Patel (58) sharing a century stand for the first wicket before 20-year-old Adam Thomas’ unbeaten 82, and wicketkeeper Josh Blake’s belligerent 59 off 38 balls, secured a comfortable seven-wicket win.
Somerset opener Savin Perera celebrated signing his first professional contract a few days earlier with a composed half-century as he and Tom Lammonby helped them to 258-9 against Nottinghamshire.
With Lammonby eight runs away from a century with more than eight overs remaining, hopes of a total near 300 were high but when he perished for 92, Joe Pocklington (3-58) limited any late acceleration as Somerset lost 5-54 off 53 balls.
That burst was to prove vital as Freddie McCann’s composed 70 and Haseeb Hameed’s 66 meant a late wobble triggered by Migael Pretorius (4-41) was in vain as Notts got home by four wickets on 259-6.
