Tuesday 5 August 2014 23:08, UK
Tom Westley and Jesse Ryder hit half-centuries as Essex knocked off a target of 248 for a six-wicket win over Lancashire in Group A of the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Opening batsman Westley set up the run chase with a composed 84 and Ryder, batting at No 5, finished it with 71 not out off 52 balls, Essex securing victory with 11.5 overs to spare.
Seam bowler Matt Salisbury had earlier claimed 4-55 to help restrict Lancashire to 247-7 after the visitors were sent in at Chelmsford, Steven Croft top scoring with 51.
The result is Lancashire's third straight defeat in the competition and leaves them bottom of Group A, while Essex have two wins from their three games.
Meanwhile, Gloucestershire moved top of Group A with a seven-wicket success in a rain-affected contest against Leicestershire at Bristol.
Set a target of 131 in 25 overs, skipper Michael Klinger's 55 not out led Gloucestershire to victory with 13 deliveries to spare.
Opening batsman Klinger and Will Gidman (39no) combined in an unbroken 74-run, fourth-wicket stand after coming together at 59-3 in the 12th over.
Leicestershire earlier stumbled to 136-8 from their 25 overs, Gloucestershire left-arm seamer David Payne doing the early damage with 4-23.
Payne claimed the first four wickets to reduce Leicestershire to 31-4 before a rain delay allowed the visitors to regroup.
The game was reduced from 45 to 25 over per side and No 3 Greg Smith batted through for 55 not out to at least see Leicestershire up to 136-8, a total that was reduced by five runs using the Duckworth-Lewis method.
Meanwhile, Yorkshire claimed their second win from three matches as they beat Northamptonshire by six wickets in a game that was reduced to 38 overs-a-side at Northampton.
The hosts batted first and quickly found themselves at 17-2 as Tim Bresnan and Jack Brooks claimed early wickets for Yorkshire, before Middlesex loanee Adam Rossington helped steady the ship.
He shared in fifty stands with both Richard Levi (34) and Ben Duckett (45) before departing for a knock of 75 from 83 balls that helped his side push up to and past 200, the home side eventually posting 209-7.
It never looked like being enough, though, after a superb stand from Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth (84) and Alex Lees who put on 195-1 before the latter fell.
But Lees' brilliant 102 from just 92 balls helped lay the platform for a comfortable win and, although Kane Williamson, Lyth and Jack Leaning all subsequently fell quickly after his dismissal, the visitors still got home with four overs to spare.
