Centurions With their 183-run victory over Middlesex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at New Road, Worcestershire’s Ed Pollock and Gareth Roderick rewrote the record books in style.
In a score of 371 for 3 from 48 overs, the opening combination hit the greatest first wicket partnership in List A history, smashing 259 off just 35.2 overs. The 243 scored by Brett D’Oliveira and Jack Haynes against Essex at Chelmsford three years prior eclipsed their stand.
After hitting 120 not out in a warm-up match against Wales, Pollock proceeded to collect 180 from 138 balls with five sixes and 21 fours, his second century in as many days. With just Callum Ferguson (192) ahead of Pollock, it was the second-highest individual score for Worcestershire in List A cricket, tied with Tom Moody.
In the first part of his innings, Roderick was Pollock’s ideal foil, but he quickly picked up speed, hitting his 115 off just 104 balls and adding 10 more boundaries to go along with five sixes.
Harry Darley, one of six Worcestershire One-Day Cup debutants, consolidated his side’s lead with a three-wicket burst with the new ball. Jack Home added three more wickets after that, and in just 25.4 overs, Middlesex—who had lost half their side for 118 runs despite Mark Stoneman’s impressive 75 off 37 balls—were bowled out.
Devastated by illness and injuries, Worcestershire fielded maybe their least experienced attack ever. Joe Leach, Adam Finch, Nathan Smith, Ben Gibbon, Matthew Waite, Josh Cobb, Kashif Ali, and D’Oliveira were not present.
Tom Hinley (Oxfordshire), Hishaam Khan (Staffordshire), Tommy Sturgess (Berkshire), and Darley (Rehaan Edavalath) were among the three new short-term recruits from National Counties cricket who made their One-Day Cup debuts. Due to the Hundred, Middlesex was without five players: Stephen Eskinazi, Max Holden, Leus du Plooy, Ryan Higgins, and Tom Helm. Nathan Fernandes and Noah Cornwell received their maiden One Day Cup starts in their place.
After being called to bat, Worcestershire quickly gained momentum thanks to a century partnership between Pollock and Roderick in just 16.3 overs. At first, Pollock was the dominating partner and reached his half century in 45 balls. However, Roderick steadily increased his pace to assist the left-hander as boundaries came in thick and fast and he finished with a fifty-six off 62 balls.
When Roderick tried a similar hit against Fernandes and was bowled, the stand was worth 259 in 35.2 overs. However, Rob Jones gave unwavering assistance, scoring an additional 93 runs in only 10.2 overs with Pollock.
When he attempted to score another huge hit against Fernandes and was caught at long-on, his incredible effort came to an end.
When Middlesex started their reply, Darley, who made his senior debut with four outings in the Vitality Blast, hit three early strikes with the new ball. Sam Robson was bowled by his second valid delivery, which also struck the top of Joe Cracknell’s off stump.
More happiness for Darley came when Fernandes hit skipper Jake Libby at cover with a leg-side blow. When Jack Davies top-edged a shot to teammate goalkeeper Roderick, Home entered the attack. The innings swiftly ended when he had Stoneman caught behind while driving, Martin Andersson holed out to third man, and so on.
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