Worcestershire have claimed the One-Day Cup trophy, marking their first victory since the 2018 T20 Blast.
Metro Bank One-Day Cup final, Trent Bridge
Hampshire 237-7 (45 overs): Orr 110, Gubbins 38; Waite 3-60; Allison 2-41
Worcestershire 188-7 (26.4 overs): Brookes 57, Libby 37; Currie 5-34
Worcestershire win by three wickets (DLS)
Worcestershire secured a thrilling three-wicket victory over Hampshire in a rain-affected One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge, prevailing with just two balls remaining.
Facing a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern adjusted target of 188 in 27 overs, the Rapids required 13 runs from the final over, which was bowled by Brad Wheal.
Matthew Waite initiated the over with a two, followed by a six, a single, and then Henry Cullen sealed the victory with a boundary off the only ball he faced, as Kyle Abbott misjudged the ball near the boundary rope.
This triumph marks Worcestershire’s first trophy in seven years, since their T20 Blast win, and arrives just three days after their relegation from Division One of the County Championship.
For Hampshire, this defeat marks their second consecutive Saturday losing a final, following their loss to Somerset in the T20 Blast at Edgbaston the previous week.
Hampshire posted 237-7 in an innings that was segmented due to weather interruptions and reduced to 45 overs, with Ali Orr scoring an impressive 110. Despite Scott Currie’s remarkable 5-34, Ethan Brookes’ powerful hitting, contributing 57 runs, and the dramatic final over, propelled the Rapids to victory.
One-Day Cup final as it happened: Worcestershire win last-over thriller
Worcestershire’s last List-A trophy win was in 1994, when they won the NatWest Trophy.
For much of the day, the prospect of completing the match, let alone witnessing such a compelling finish, seemed improbable.
However, the outcome was a triumphant moment for Worcestershire, a county known for overcoming challenges, displaying both resilience and skill, while also honouring the memory of their former player, Josh Baker, who tragically passed away last year at the age of 20.
Captain Jake Libby’s decision to bowl first saw Orr immediately assert himself, hitting the first ball of the innings from Tom Taylor for four.
The opening partnership between Orr and captain Nick Gubbins reached 82 before Gubbins was caught at backward point off Waite’s bowling for 38.
Play was initially halted after 22 overs with Hampshire at 106-1, and during the subsequent 8.5 overs, they added 35 runs, losing Fletcha Middleton for 18.
Upon resumption, the innings was reduced to 45 overs, and Worcestershire took wickets of Toby Albert for 13 and Ben Mayes for two, bringing the score to 169-4.
Orr continued his innings, reaching his century with a six, four, and four off three balls from Waite, marking his third One-Day Cup hundred of the year from 118 deliveries.
However, Hampshire’s momentum waned after Orr’s dismissal, managing only 24 runs in their final five overs as Worcestershire’s all-seam attack maintained control.
Ali Orr scored his third hundred of the 2025 One-Day Cup season at Trent Bridge
Chasing a revised target of 251 from 45 overs, Worcestershire’s openers were ready when more rain intervened.
When play resumed at 17:15, the target was adjusted to 188 from 27 overs, and they lost opener Gareth Roderick (12), who was in the team replacing the injured Brett D’Oliveira, and promising teenager Daniel Lategan for 18, leaving them at 31-2.
A 62-run partnership between Kashif Ali (25) and Libby (37) steadied the Rapids, but their subsequent dismissals left the score at 107-4, requiring more than 10 runs per over.
Brookes kept them in contention with powerful hitting, reaching his half-century from 30 balls, including a six off Kyle Abbott, reducing the target to 21 from two overs.
He was eventually caught off Currie, who was released from England’s T20 squad to play, and Currie then took wickets on consecutive balls, removing Rob Jones and Tom Taylor, achieving his best-ever List-A figures.
With 13 runs needed to win, Waite and Cullen etched their names into Worcestershire’s history with their final-over heroics.
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