Joe Weatherley's 116* makes light work of Essex

Joe Weatherley classily struck his third Metro Bank One-Day Cup men's competition hundred as Hampshire beat Essex at Utilita Bowl.

Weatherley provided the backbone to a well-managed chase of 286 - after Charlie Allison, Tom Westley and Robin Das all posted half-centuries for Essex.

Tilak Varma also reached the landmark, but it was Weatherley's personal best unbeaten 116 - his first century in two years - that made sure Hampshire made it two wins from two, while Essex remain winless.

Hampshire stuck Essex into bat and almost immediately struck as Kyle Abbott drew an outside edge out of Matt Critchley.

Robin Das and Tom Westley set the innings into place with a 99-run stand in double-quick time, the pair peppering the boundary in their better-than-a-run-a-ball half-centuries.

But a middle-over squeeze slowed the run-rate and brought a succession of regular wickets.

Left-arm spinner Andrew Neal broke the Das/Westley alliance when Das clipped off-balance to midwicket, before Westley followed when Tilak Varma brilliantly caught him at short fine leg.

Luc Benkenstein slashed to short cover, Noah Thain powered to midwicket, and Nick Browne drove to first slip to hand Abbott his second.

At 189 for 6 in the 35th over, the visitors were in danger of a seriously under-par score but Allison and Simon Fernandes revved things back into life with a no thrills partnership.

Allison has had a stand-out 2025 having scored three centuries in the Rothesay County Championship, and continued that form with an unhurried 80.

Fernandes had begun his One-Day Cup campaign with an unbeaten 46, and followed that with 41. But as the pair looked to accelerate Essex suffered their second slump to get bowled out for 285.

Both fell in back-to-back deliveries, both caught trying to go big, while Shane Snater was bowled and Jamie Porter was caught behind.

The hosts needed to go at under a run-a-ball and they stuck to that mission like a limpet.

Ali Orr and Nick Gubbins eased through the new ball until the former fell to the final ball of the powerplay when Charlie Bennett bowled a snorter to get a tickle behind.

Gubbins followed his century against Glamorgan with 40 but top-edged a sweep to short fine but Hampshire gained control through Tilak Varma and Weatherley.

The pair put on 98 to take a huge bite into the target. Indian Varma was mostly circumspect apart from crisp shots down the ground and an incredible reverse six.

He was bowled trying to charge Westley having reached a fifty before Tom Prest gifted Westley his third wicket - he returned three for 39.

Weatherley had a strong Vitality Blast before a successful return to the Championship side, and oozed class throughout his innings.

He dominated a 47-run partnership with Ben Mayes and then joined with Felix Organ to rush to the winning line.

Weatherley reached three figures with a luscious strike through long on as part of three boundaries in a row which took the runs required to single figures. A six in the following over secured the points.