Graham Onions denied his home county Durham as he produced an unlikely match-winning performance with the bat to snatch a last-over victory for Lancashire in the Royal London One-Day Cup at Gosforth.
Onions built a much-heralded career in the north east on the back of his exploits with the ball but showed a canny knack with the bat on his return as he blasted a pair of sixes in the 48th over to swing the game the way of his adopted county.
Yes, @BunnyOnions! 6⃣ 🌹 #RedRoseTogether pic.twitter.com/Hdlr5nUkGG — Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 30, 2019
Lancashire sealed a three-wicket win with four balls to spare, with Onions unbeaten on 16 from six balls, to claim a fourth successive victory and draw level with second-placed Durham in the North Group.
Alex Lees had earlier played a lone hand as he struck 115 in Durham's 229 all out before Steven Croft fell a run short of his second century of the competition.
That winning feeling. 🌹🌹🌹@robpeterjones loves a good celebration. 👊 4⃣ wins in a row. 🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/XNk7bOnrIS — Lancashire Cricket (@lancscricket) April 30, 2019
And while the visitors wobbled Onions, who was born a few miles down the road in Gateshead, stood up when it counted to secure the win.
Sussex claimed a thrilling last-gasp victory over Essex after last pair Danny Briggs and Mir Hamza got them home with a ball to spare.
Essex had looked comfortably on course for victory when half-centuries from Tom Westley and Dan Lawrence helped them to 283 for seven before Matt Coles' three wickets reduced the Sharks to 94 for six.
🥂 SHARKS WIN BY ONE WICKET! 🤪 Absolute scenes as @DannyBriggs19 sends the ball to the boundary and we've pulled off an incredible win! 🏏 WHAT A GAME OF CRICKET! pic.twitter.com/c8sSQCF7vx — Sussex Cricket (@SussexCCC) April 30, 2019
Will Beer and Laurie Evans took over from there, the former hitting a career-best 75, in a match-changing 121-run stand for the seventh wicket.
Champions Hampshire moved to the brink of booking a play-off place as Liam Dawson's century set them on course for a 53-run win over Surrey at the Kia Oval.
Aiden Markram contributed 88 in a total of 307 before Dawson then claimed two for 39 as Surrey's hopes of progress were ended.
MATCH REPORT// It was a day to remember for Chris Cooke and his team at Bristol as a career-best 161 and a Club record stand of 234 for the fourth wicket with Billy Root (98) saw the Welsh county to 331/7 to give Glamorgan a 74-run victory Read more at https://t.co/FD7vJ7bEfA pic.twitter.com/e0elH2mbZC — Glamorgan Cricket 🏏 (@GlamCricket) April 30, 2019
Chris Cooke's career-best List A score of 161 kept Glamorgan's slim hopes of progression alive following a 74-run victory over Gloucestershire at Bristol.
The 32-year-old South African shared a fourth-wicket stand of 234 with Billy Root, who contributed 98 to a Glamorgan total of 331 for seven.
Marchant De Lange then ripped through the home top-order as Gloucestershire slumped to 26 for four and were unable to threaten the target.
Wayne Madsen's unbeaten 119 steered Derbyshire Falcons to a five-wicket win over Warwickshire.
The Bears posted 288 for seven on the back of half-centuries from Alex Thomson and Alex Mellor before Madsen coolly stroked 119 from 104 balls to leave the Falcons just outside the play-off places.
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