Durham were unable to make it two from two in the Metro Bank One Day Cup as they fell to defeat against Worcestershire Rapids by 93 runs at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
The Rapids Captain Jake Libby perfectly paced 89 from 117 balls as he demonstrated how to mastermind a recovery from a challenging position at 61-5 in leading Worcestershire to a substantial total.
Worcestershire’s leading One Day Cup scorer for the past two seasons was given superb support by initially Tom Taylor, then debutant Fateh Singh with his List A best 60, and Tom Hinley
Durham were then in initial disarray themselves with the bat after Tom Taylor picked up three wickets in the first over of the innings including skipper Alex Lees.
Ben McKinney’s maiden List A half century revived their fortunes but Worcestershire newcomer and former Sussex spinner Hinley then made a major impact in the latter stages of the innings.
He picked up five wickets in his first ever bowl in List A cricket as Durham were bowled out in 33.3 overs.
Worcestershire handed a debut to England Under-19 spinner Singh, who has signed on loan from Nottinghamshire for the tournament.
The game was played on the same hybrid pitch as the Vitality Blast matches with Birmingham Bears and Yorkshire plus the Middlesex fixture and there was early swing.
Libby opted to bat but Gareth Roderick departed in the first over when he drove Bas de Leede into the hands of point.
Ed Pollock mistimed a pull against Paul Coughlin and was caught by Killeen running around to mid wicket.
Rob Jones was undone by a delivery from Coughlin as he edged to Scott Borthwick at first slip.
Worcestershire limped to 33-3 by the end of the powerplay and lost a fourth wicket when Ethan Brookes attempted to pull James Minto and was caught behind down the leg side.
Then Rehaaan Edavalath nicked a delivery which left him from Minto to give keeper Haydon Mustard another scalp.
Libby was content to accumulate in ones and twos while new batter Taylor collected three boundaries – a straight drive and pull off Mitchell Killeen and another to fine leg at de Leede’s expense.
The sixth wicket pair brought up the 100 in the 27th over and added 40 but then Taylor (25) was lbw to a Jonathan Bushnell delivery which jagged back sharply.
On loan debutant Singh showed his capabilities with the bat and smote Colin Ackerman for six over mid wicket and then came down the pitch to loft the same bowler straight back down the ground.
The left hander was the dominant partner in a half century with Libby in just 40 balls.
Libby completed a highly responsible 81 ball half century and Singh reached the same milestone for the first time from the very next delivery – his 35th.
It contained one six and five fours and the stand was worth 89 when Singh (60) was caught at mid-on off the returning Coughlin.
The stand was Worcestershire’s highest for the seventh wicket versus Durham in List A cricket, surpassing the 68 by Stephen Moore and Steve Rhodes at New Road 20 years ago.
New batter Tom Hinley made a quickfire 24 in a stand of 48 with Libby before being run out by a direct hit from deep mid wicket attempting a second to the non-striker’s end.
Tom Sturgess then suffered the same fate after De Leede had fielded his drive off his own bowling and threw down the wicket at the keeper’s end.
The Durham innings then got off to a dramatic start with the three wickets falling to the second, fifth and sixth balls in the opening over from Taylor.
Alex Lees nibbled at a delivery which moved away and was caught behind, de Leede perished to a head high catch by Rob Jones at second slip and then a superb delivery jagged back and Colin Ackerman inside edged through to keeper Gareth Roderick.
It became 16-4 when Michael Jones turned Harry Darley to mid wicket and set off for a single but was run out by Libby’s direct hit at the non striker’s end.
Ben McKinney and Scott Borthwick set about effecting a recovery and added 79 in untroubled fashion with the former completing a 57 ball fifty. But the game swung back in Worcestershire’s favour with Hinley’s four wicket burst.
Borthwick fell to a fine diving catch by Brookes at cover, Bushnell was stumped off a wide and then Hinley bowled Mustard and trapped Coughlin lbw.
McKinney’s fine knock finally ended on 80 when he holed out in the deep off Singh and then Hinley completed his nap hand by having Minto caught behind.