MEN'S T20 BLAST ROUNDUP: Worcestershire hammered Yorkshire, while Essex and Middlesex were beaten again; James Anderson was back in T20 action after more than a decade away
New Road: Worcestershire 201-5, Yorkshire 135-8 - Worcestershire win by 66 runs
Brett D'Oliveira's scintillating 79 off 48 balls sent his team on their way to a first Vitality T20 Blast win of the season, as they swept aside Yorkshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.
Adam Hose, (54), joined his skipper in finding form at the right time as their partnership of 117 propelled the Rapids to 201 for 5.
The visitors failed to get going in reply, with a middle order collapse leaving Yorkshire, 51 for 6, a position from which they never recovered.
Adam Finch (2 for 19) starred with the ball, as Worcestershire's excellent performance saw them wrap up a convincing 60-run win by DLS as rain brought a premature end to proceedings.
Northampton: Leicestershire 122, Northamptonshire 123-5 - Northamptonshire win by five wickets
Northants Steelbacks maintained their 100 per cent start to the Vitality Blast after comfortably beating Leicestershire Foxes by five wickets at Northampton.
The Foxes mustered only 122 after their top order was blown away by Ben Sanderson (4 for 15) and David Willey (3 for 20). It was a meagre total, albeit a decent recovery from 39 for seven thanks to a Foxes record T20 eighth-wicket stand of 55 between Logan van Beek (42) and Tom Scriven (23).
The Steelbacks did not find run-scoring easy either but were always in control of the chase and reached 123 for 5 with four balls to spare. Ravi Bopara showed his experience and class in decisive fashion with a victory-clinching 46 not out from 40 balls.
Chester-le-Street: Durham 150-6, Lancashire 151-6 - Lancashire win by four wickets
James Anderson took an impressive 3 for 17 from four overs in his first T20 match since August 2014 to inspire Lancashire to a four-wicket victory over Durham at the Banks Homes Riverside.
Anderson's spell helped to restrict the home side to 150 for 6 in their 20 overs, but it needed Michael Jones to score 55 against his former county to give Keaton Jennings' side the impetus they needed.
Even then, a single was needed off the final ball of the twentieth over to complete the victory after Durham's bowlers had battled superbly to restrict Lancashire.
Nonetheless, the visitors will be content to have recorded their third successive victory in this year's Blast while Durham have suffered their first defeat in the 2025 competition.
Northamptonshire inflicted Leicestershire's first win of the season (David Rogers/Getty Images)
Chelmsford: Essex 148, Somerset 149-2 - Somerset win by eight wickets
Will Smeed made light work of Essex's meagre total as 2024 runners-up Somerset made it two wins from two to begin their Men's Vitality Blast campaign.
T20 powerhouse Smeed whacked 81 in 54 balls to canter to an eight-wicket victory, as they chased 148 with 25 balls to spare.
Tom Lammonby also chipped in with 36, in a 96-run opening stand, as Somerset’s men avenged the defeat their club-mates suffered in the Women's Vitality Blast earlier in the day.
Matt Critchley and Dean Elgar's half centuries merely sugar-coated a second successive heavy defeat for Essex – having lost their opener at Hampshire by 106 runs.
Northwood: Middlesex 124-9, Glamorgan 125-5 - Glamorgan win by five wickets
Mason Crane sparked a spectacular Middlesex collapse as Glamorgan opened their 2025 Vitality Blast campaign with a five-wicket win at Merchant Taylors' School.
The 28-year-old leg-spinner struck with his first ball on the way to figures of 4 for 28 as the hosts capitulated from 45 without loss to 124 for 9 in their 20 overs.
Kane Williamson top-scored with 25 and Ryan Higgins hit a quickfire 21 amid the clatter of wickets.
Glamorgan had troubles of their own in reply, slipping to 64 for 5, before superb ball striking from Asa Tribe and Dan Douthwaite in a stand of 64 in 38 balls saw Glamorgan home with four and a half overs to spare.
Hove: Sussex 173, Gloucestershire 93 - Sussex win by 80 runs
Sussex Sharks made it two wins out of two in the Vitality Blast when they marked their first home fixture with victory over Gloucestershire by 80 runs.
But after their success last season it has been a disappointing start to the new campaign by Gloucestershire, who were beaten by just four runs in their high-scoring opener against Kent.
They needed 174 for victory here but were bundled out for 93, with only three batters making double figures.
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