Worcestershire Rapids captain Jake Libby continued his remarkable run of form by scoring his third consecutive century, a performance that proved decisive in securing a four-wicket victory over Sussex Sharks. This crucial win in the Metro Bank One Day Cup keeps Worcestershire's hopes of progressing in the tournament alive, marking their fourth success in six matches, while Sussex has now suffered five defeats in six outings.
The match concluded with ten balls to spare, largely thanks to a pivotal fourth-wicket partnership between Libby, who finished unbeaten on 109, and Kashif Ali, who contributed 73 runs. The pair put on 118 runs in 15 overs, effectively changing the momentum of the chase after Worcestershire had slipped to 105 for 3 in the 20th over. The duo targeted 19-year-old seamer Freddie Price, taking 20 runs off his 33rd over to reach the 200-run mark for the team. While Sussex managed to remove Kashif and Henry Cullen, Libby remained at the crease to guide his side home, aided by a rapid 20 runs off nine balls from Ben Allison.
Earlier in the day, Worcestershire’s pursuit had begun with a 60-run opening stand from Isaac Mohammed and Brett D'Oliveira. However, D'Oliveira fell to a catch by Ollie Robinson off Jack Carson, and Isaac followed shortly after, departing with the score at 83. Carson also claimed the wicket of Rehaan Edavalath, who was bowled while attempting a sweep.
Sussex, having been sent in to bat, reached a competitive total of 333 for 9. Openers Haines and Charlie Tear provided a strong start, sharing 13 boundaries in the first ten overs. Tear was the first to fall for 30, caught by Isaac off Ben Gibbon, who also dismissed Haines for 40. Although George Thomas contributed 39 and Oli Carter added 22, the Sharks struggled to find a definitive top-order innings. Fynn Hudson-Prentice provided a late surge with a high-scoring display, and Jack Leaning anchored the innings with a half-century, helping the visitors post a challenging target that ultimately fell short against Libby’s determined knock.
Skipper has reached 109 three times in as many innings to keep knockout hopes alive
Both men drove fluently to bring up the fifty from 54 balls and at the end of the ten-over powerplay they had shared 13 boundaries in a score of 66.
