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A sublime unbeaten 141 from Ed Barnard gave Warwickshire’s qualification hopes in the Metro Bank One Day Cup a boost as his side beat Durham by four wickets, despite a magnificent century from Alex Lees. Consistent wickets plagued Durham’s innings, but the reliable Lees displayed a mix of grit and fluency to pick up a List A best of 148 and was well supported by Ben Raine (46) to get the home side to a total of 300 for eight.Warwickshire got off to a shaky start, but skipper Barnard and Hamza Shaikh combined for a partnership worth 106 to give them the edge.Shaikh was dismissed, but Barnard continued the charge and along with Michael Booth he took his side home with 14 balls to spare.The visitors put Durham into bat at an overcast Banks Homes Riverside and they got their first early on as Ollie Robinson attempted to pull an Ethan Bamber short ball, but he mistimed it and Kai Smith made no mistake with the catch.Will Rhodes then departed for 15 as he attempted a pull shot to a Bamber ball, but he got a nick on it and Smith clung on to it behind the stumps.Emilio Gay should have been walking back to the pavilion early on, as he top edged a Booth short ball but a running Bamber couldn’t cling on to it.Gay then played a couple of delightful cover drives, but he then went for 26 as he pulled an Ed Barnard ball straight to Alex Davies on the boundary.Lees remained solid in the face of consistent wickets and he swept a Taz Ali ball for four to reach fifty from 73 balls.The opener then crunched consecutive Booth deliveries for four to build some much-needed momentum for the hosts.Durham’s struggles against the short ball continued as Colin Ackermann tried to lift a Booth short ball over Smith’s head, but he didn’t get enough on it and was caught behind for 23.Youngster Robbie Bowman then went for one, as Taz Ali produced a beauty to dislodge his off-stump, while George Drissell went for seven caught behind off a Barnard ball.Ben Raine came in and showed some intent, picking up 10 runs from two Rob Yates balls and Lees reached his century from 117 balls at the other end.Lees then moved into T20 mode as he launched back-to-back Booth balls for six and Raine followed that up by smashing an Ali ball down the ground.Raine departed at the hands of Hannon-Dalby for an entertaining 46, while Lees was run out on the last ball for an excellent 148 to take his side to 300 for eight.Warwickshire started their chase of 301 with Barnard and Yates tasked with starting their chase.Barnard played a lovely shot through point off the bowling of Mitch Killeen for four to put pressure on the hosts.Raine got Yates for nine as the opener chopped one on to his off-stump, but Barnard continued to look good as he heaved a Sam Conners ball for six.Malik then backed that up with a lovely lofted straight drive for four off Raine, but the Durham bowler struck back as Malik pulled a short ball straight into the hands of Conners.Warwickshire then found themselves in a bit of trouble when Killeen got Davies LBW for seven.That brought Hamza Shaikh to the crease and he hit Archie Bailey for two boundaries early on and Barnard brought up his half-century from 48 balls at the other end.Barnard steadied the ship and punished a ball from Drissell, launching it down the ground for six and Shaikh got his first maximum as he heaved one over the long-on boundary.The England Under-19s man then reached his fifty from 67 balls, but Raine got him caught in the deep next ball for 51.It became a double salvo for Durham as Killeen got Smith for five, but Barnard notched up his century from 96 balls.However, he was running out of partners as Vaansh Jani was removed by Drissell for 15.Barnard was determined to bring the points back to Birmingham and he scooped a Conners ball for six to take them closer to the target.Booth smashed a Raine short ball for six to give the visitors momentum and he backed that up with a four off Conners, he then won it with a six off the same bowler.

Worcestershire 196 for 5 (D’Oliveira 52, Jack 2-34) beat Hampshire 194 (Gubbins 60, Allison 6-35) Ben Allison’s career best figures of 6 for 35 helped Worcestershire secure a comfortable five-wicket win over Hampshire in Group A of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Allison bowled with pace and control from the outset, as regular wickets stunted Hampshire’s progress, with Nick Gubbins’ half-century the highlight in Hampshire’s total of 194 all out.In reply, a composed 52 from Brett D’Oliveira and thirties from Kashif Ali and Jake Libby put the hosts in control of their chase as Hampshire’s bowlers struggled. A quickfire cameo from Ethan Brookes saw Worcestershire ease their way to a convincing five-wicket win and continue their unbeaten start to the group stage.Allison pushed the home side in front early as he drew Ali Orr into an unnecessary waft at a full delivery outside his off stump in the first over of the contest, shortly before producing a peach of a delivery to account for the vital wicket of Tilak Varma, without scoring. Hampshire rallied from 14 for 2, with Gubbins taking his side past 50 without further cause for concern in sublime batting conditions at New Road.Scotland’s Brandon McMullen (29) gave his wicket away after a promising start, but Gubbins continued his fine solo efforts, raising his bat after passing fifty for the second time in this year’s One-Day Cup. Joe Weatherley’s afternoon was brought to a premature end when he was in single figures, as he retired hurt, unable to continue having been struck on the hand earlier in his innings.Gubbins’ classy knock saw him relatively unphased, stroking nine boundaries on his way to 60, but when Ethan Brookes trapped the opener LBW in front with a darting, full ball, the home side were back on an even keel, with Hampshire 115 for 4.Worcestershire youngster, Jack Home, making his first appearance of the season for the Rapids, returned to the action after a turbulent two-over spell earlier on in the piece to spark the biggest reaction from the crowd of the day when he zipped a ball through the defences of England U19 teammate Ben Mayes, watching a shard of middle stump fall victim of his pace, as the home side tightened their grip on the first-innings.File photo: Ben Allison takes the plaudits•Getty Images

At 121 for 5 and faltering on the back of the metronomic Brookes’ spell, a sixth-wicket partnership of 62 between Tom Prest and Felix Organ provided some stability for the visitors.But Worcestershire hit back, with the impressive Allison taking the wickets of both aforementioned batters in the 38th over, with a stunning caught and bowled spelling the end for Prest on 36. The seamer capped a sensational day with two more wickets in his final over, as he returned career-best figures of 6 for 35 to bundle Hampshire out for a below-par 194.Isaac Mohammed fell early in the reply when he was LBW for 10, but Kashif Ali and Brett D’Oliveira put on 59 for the third wicket, with Kashif continuing his excellent run in the competition as he searched for a third consecutive half-century.He perished 14 runs short of the milestone however when he found Prest at mid-off, but his departure didn’t halt Worcestershire’s momentum as they batted on past 100 in the 22nd over.D’Oliveira made his way to a composed half-century from 79 balls as Worcestershire strolled through the middle overs, but Hampshire had a brief moment of optimism McMullen struck in the 30th over to see the back of D’Oliveira.Brookes’ quick fire cameo of 35 from 24 balls propelled the home side up to 168 for 4, as the late loss of he and Libby (32) did not derail what was a comfortable chase with the Rapids securing a five-wicket win with more than ten overs in tact.