Birmingham Bears booked a home Vitality Blast quarter-final with a two-wicket victory over North Group rivals Notts Outlaws at a damp Trent Bridge.
The Bears were already sure of a place in the knock-out stages after five straight wins, but found themselves in big trouble on seven for four chasing 169 as Pakistan paceman Shaheen Afridi took four wickets in the first over.
However, opener Rob Yates put together a calm 65, with Jacob Bethell and Jake Lintott both making 27, to see them home with five balls to spare.
Although Tom Moores had earlier hit a swift 73, the Outlaws always looked to be under par after being bowled out for 168 in their 20 overs.
The Outlaws now need to beat Leicestershire Foxes at Trent Bridge in their final game to join the Bears in the last eight.
Lancashire Lightning saw their derby showdown against Yorkshire Vikings at Emirates Old Trafford abandoned without a ball bowled because of heavy rain.
With the points shared, second-placed Lancashire are still not secure of progression, but Yorkshire miss out having needed victory to keep their hopes of qualification alive.
Worcestershire’s match against Durham ended in a tie on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern after bad light brought an early end at New Road.
Durham opener Graham Clark had made 78 from 47 balls with Michael Jones (39), Brydon Carse (39) and Ashton Turner (33 not out) also making useful contributions in their side’s 216 for four.
The Rapids were 112 for three after 11 overs, with New Zealander Mitchell Santner making a swift 42 and Adam Hose unbeaten on 16.
With a point each, Durham’s quarter-final hopes are over, while the Rapids need to win at Derbyshire on Sunday to progress.
Tom Wood struck a maiden T20 century to drive Derbyshire Falcons to a 71-run win over Leicestershire Foxes which keeps their qualification hopes alive.
Wood smashed an unbeaten 110 – with 12 fours and four sixes from 57 balls – while fellow opener Harry Came made 56 as the Falcons posted 231 for four, their highest T20 total.
Peter Handscomb lead the Foxes’ reply with 61, but Zaman Khan took three for 27 as Leicestershire finished 160 all out.
Derbyshire now need to beat Worcestershire to have a chance of making the quarter-finals.
Tom Banton’s fine 84 helped South Group leaders Somerset pull off an 18-run win over Surrey at the Oval.
Somerset, who had already secured a home quarter-final, made 208 for five after being put in to bat.
New Zealand duo Matt Henry (four for 30) and Ish Sodhi (three for 33) then helped limit Surrey to 190 for nine in reply, leaving them needing to beat Essex to stay in the mix for the runners-up spot.
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At the Ageas Bowl, Australian Ben McDermott struck 54 to put defending champions Hampshire Hawks in prime position for a quarter-final spot with a 21-run DLS win over Glamorgan.
Hampshire reached 97 for two in 9.2 overs before a rain delay, and Glamorgan were set 83 in six overs.
Despite Colin Ingram’s quickfire 34, good defensive bowling saw Glamorgan restricted to 54 for one as Hampshire moved level with Surrey in second place on 16 points.
Ravi Bopara’s fine century helped Sussex Sharks beat Kent Spitfires by 11 runs in another rain-hit match at Canterbury.
Bopara made his highest T20 score of 108 as Sussex posted a formidable 228 for seven.
In reply, Kent were 31 for one when heavy rain set in, and a revised DLS target was set of 129 from 10 overs.
Although Alex Blake made 30 and Jordan Cox an unbeaten 37, it always looked a tough run chase, and the hosts finished on 117 for four.
Middlesex beat Essex by two wickets in a high-scoring clash at Chelmsford to dent the Eagles hopes of making the quarter-finals.
All-rounder Ryan Higgins hit a swift 61 and Martin Andersson’s unbeaten 24 saw Middlesex home in the final over, despite Matt Critchley’s career-best five for 28.
Essex had made 225 for six, with 69 not out from Daniel Sams, but now head to the Oval on Sunday needing victory over Surrey to stand any chance of progress.
West Indies Academy secures first win of the season with 22-run DLS method victory over CCC
The West Indies Academy recorded their first win of the 2024 CG United Super50 Cup season with a 22-run DLS method win over the Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine on Monday.
CCC, who were also seeking their first win of the season, were first dismissed for 174 in 39.5 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Experienced opener Kieran Powell top scored with 46 off 42 balls including eight fours while Shaqkere Parris made 40 and Johann Jeremiah hit 33.
Jediah Blades continued his good form with the ball this season with 3-23 from six overs and was well supported by Zishan Motara who took 3-31 from his 10 overs.
Joshua Bishop also bowled well with 2-25 from 6.5 overs.
In reply, the Academy were 167-7 off 40.5 overs, 22 runs ahead of the DLS par score when the rain brought an end to proceedings.
Andrew Rambaran and Johann Layne put together a crucial eighth wicket partnership, helping the Academy recover from 118-7 in the 29th over.
Rambaran finished 37* while Layne finished 25* off 28 balls including two fours and two sixes.
Earlier, Rivaldo Clarke top scored with 38. Romario Greaves was excellent with the ball for the CCC with 5-45 from his 10 overs while the other two wickets were split between Akeem Jordan and Abhijai Mansingh.
Full Scores:
Combined Campuses and Colleges 174 off 39.5 overs (Kieran Powell 46, Shaqkere Parris 40, Johann Jeremiah 33, Jediah Blades 3-23, Zishan Motara 3-31, Joshua Bishop 2-25)
West Indies Academy 167-7 off 40.5 overs (Rivaldo Clarke 38, Andrew Rambaran 37*, Johann Layne 25*, Romario Greaves 5-45).
Molineux stars with 64 as Melbourne Renegades Women win second match in a row
Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin’s Melbourne Renegades Women got their second win in a row in the Women’s Big Bash League thanks to a brilliant batting display from captain Sophie Molineux against Adelaide Strikers Women at the Junction Oval in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Renegades, chasing 158 for victory, found themselves 52-5 in the ninth over when Molineux came to the crease to join Dottin.
The pair put on a crucial 79 runs before Dottin fell for 20. Seven runs later, Molineux fell for a match-winning 32-ball 64 including nine fours and three sixes.
Eventually needing six runs off the final over, Nicole Faltum and Sarah Coyte guided the Renegades to victory.
Darcie Brown, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Jemma Barsby took two wickets, each, for the Strikers in their efforts to defend what looked like a match-winning total.
Earlier, captain Talia McGrath led the way with 64 off 44 balls including eight fours and a six while Orla Prendergast supported well with 31 as the Strikers made 157-5 from their 20 overs after winning the toss.
Molineux took 2-39 from her four overs while Georgia Wareham and Alice Capsey split two wickets. Matthews and Dottin when wicketless in seven overs between them.
Australia recover from middle-order collapse to win Pakistan opener
Australia rallied to overcome Pakistan by two wickets in the first of three one-day internationals between the teams at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Roared on by vocal travelling support, Pakistan were in the ascendency when their pacemen dropped Australia from 113-2 to 115-7, with the hosts chasing 204 for victory.
Harif Rauf dismissed three while Shaheen Shah Afridi and Mohammad Hasnain also got in on the act to decimate the hosts' middle order.
Naseem Shah had earlier scored 40 off 39 balls to salvage a score of 203 all out for the tourists, but a crucial cameo from captain Pat Cummins got Australia over the line.
Cummins calmly came up with an unbeaten 32 from 31 balls as the hosts sealed victory with 16.3 overs remaining, with even Sean Abbott's error in being run out for 13 failing to inspire a change in the momentum.
Bowler Mitchell Starc told ABC Grandstand after the match: "We probably didn't like that Patty and I had pads on, but it's a positive start to the summer.
"A win is a win no matter how you get there."
Data Debrief: Cummins leads from the front
Cummins' unbeaten 32 may not go down as his most memorable knock in ODIs, but it did equal his best innings for Australia in the format.
That proved crucial after Matthew Short (1), Jake Fraser-McGurk (16), Marnus Labuschagne (16), Aaron Hardie (10) and Glenn Maxwell (0) disappointed with the bat.
Australia, who have won both of their ODI series versus West Indies and England since lifting the World Cup in 2023, can now seal a series triumph in Adelaide on Friday.
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