Vilas, Clark stop Worcestershire's winning run

Lancashire 313 for 5 (Vilas 100*, Clark 79*, Brown 63) beat Worcestershire 161 (Clark 4-34) by 152 runs
Scorecard

Lancashire Lightning recorded their second successive victory in this year's Royal London One-Day Cup when they defeated the previously undefeated Worcestershire Rapids by 152 runs at Emirates Old Trafford.

The result keeps Lancashire's hopes of qualification from the North Group very much alive, although they probably still need to win all three of their remaining North Group games. Despite this unexpected reverse, Worcestershire are still expected to finish in the top three, thereby ensuring their progression.

The game was a triumph for Dane Vilas, who made his maiden Lancashire century in his side's 313 for 5, but it was even more memorable for Jordan Clark who followed his 79 not out by taking 4 for 34 as Worcestershire managed only 161 all out in 34.5 overs in reply

The first half of Lancashire's innings was characterised by steady accumulation punctuated by the regular loss of wickets; the second half by a magnificent, unbroken 160-run partnership between Vilas and Clark, the latter's power-hitting contrasting pleasantly with the South African's inventive strokeplay and astute innings management.

These qualities were noticed by their absence earlier in the morning when Alex Davies had lost his middle stump to the twelfth ball of the day, bowled by John Hastings, and Haseeb Hameed, having batted competently for 36, edged Josh Tongue to Ben Cox when shaping to work the ball to third man.

The 19-year-old Tongue soon collected his second notable wicket when Liam Livingstone obligingly pulled him to Ross Whiteley at deep square leg. It was not the subtlest of traps and Lancashire's problems were compounded five overs later when Karl Brown was bowled by Brett D'Oliveira for a well-made 77-ball 63 which had included four fours and two sixes.

Vilas marked his arrival at the wicket by reverse sweeping his first ball from Moeen Ali for four but the England off-spinner claimed an important wicket shortly after when he had Steven Croft lbw for five, leaving Lancashire on 153 for five in the 32nd over.

D'Oliveira's well-controlled leg spin earned him figures of one for 32 from his ten overs but the other bowlers came in for severe punishment as Vilas and Clark's partnership gathered pace. Ali, who was twice lifted for straight sixes by Clark, finished with one for 75 as the pair set a new List A sixth-wicket record for Lancashire against Worcestershire.

Vilas hit twelve fours and, having reached his fifty off 49 balls, took a further 34 deliveries to reach a hundred which was completed off the fourth ball of the final over. Clark, whose batting has been one of the features of Lancashire's early season, finished with 79 not out off 58 balls. He hit four fours and three sixes. Tongue was the only Rapids bowler to take more than one wicket and he finished with two for 46 off seven overs.

Needing to score at 6.26 runs per over to win, Worcestershire's innings started badly and got progressively worse. Ali completed a poor match when he was well beaten by James Anderson and caught behind in the third over after the resumption.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore mis-drove Kyle Jarvis to Stephen Parry three overs later and even the 59-run stand between Daryl Mitchell and Joe Clarke was halted by the loss of four wickets in 21 balls for 12 runs.

Mitchell departed for 29 when he chipped Parry to Brown at midwicket and D'Oliveira then feathered a catch to Davies off Clark, who also had his near namesake athletically caught by Anderson for 36.

When Whiteley was bowled by one that kept a little low from Clark, Worcestershire were 82 for six in the eighteenth over and their plight became even worse four overs later when Ed Barnard, having made eight, chopped the suddenly unplayable Clark on to his stumps.

Brief partnerships merely delayed the inevitable but it allowed Simon Kerrigan to take two wickets and Jarvis to remove Leach for 12.