PRO40 DIVISION ONE, New Road:
Worcestershire 222-3 beat Hampshire 220-6 by seven wickets (Worcs 2pts)

Steven Davies hit 106 to help Worcestershire beat Notts on Saturday

Worcestershire emerged as serious Pro40 title contenders as they beat Hampshire at New Road by seven wickets with 10 and a half overs to spare.

Surrey-bound Steven Davies led the way with a second successive one-day century, surviving two 'lives' to make a round 100 from just 65 balls.

Skipper Vikram Solanki was still there at the end on 82 out of 222-3.

Earlier, Worcestershire's other outgoing man Gareth Batty took 2-33 as Hampshire were limited to 220-6.

Batty also took a key boundary a catch to remove Michael Lumb in Jack Shantry's opening spell.

And, having recovered from an expensive first over, he then pegged back Hampshire, putting in a typical mid-innings containing spell with his changes of pace and flight.

When County Championship top flight backmarkers Worcestershire batted, Hampshire's attack, already under strength because of injuries, fell apart without Dominic Cork.

The former England all-rounder was unable to bowl after needing stitches to repair the damage inflicted when he was hit on the nose by the only ball he faced from Gareth Andrew at the end of the Hampshire innings.

But, in this form, Davies hitting 16 fours in his 173-run stand with Solanki (150 of which came off the first 15 overs), it is hard to imagine who could have bowled to the England Twenty20 keeper.

Davies, who hit an unbeaten 106 in Saturday's victory against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, did have two escapes.

He was put down early on by keeper Nic Pothas, then again by Imran Tahir at mid-on the ball before he was finally out.

Victory takes 2007 winners Worcestershire into second place in Division One, just a point behind holders Sussex.

More intriguingly, the two counties are still to meet in what could be a title decider on the final Sunday of the season at New Road on 27 September.

Worcestershire have one more game before then, under the New Road floodlights against Somerset in a fortnight (Monday, 14 September, 1640 BST).

Worcestershire coach Steve Rhodes told BBC Hereford and Worcester:

"This tournament has been good to us over the last few years. And it's no coincidence that we've done well thanks to the likes of Steven Davies and Vikram Solanki playing well in it. They've shown how well they know the 40-over game.

"We needed to take advantage of the fielding restrictions in the first 15 and the two of them did that unbelievably well.

"Davo's innings was probably better than Saturday's and I thought I'd have to wait a long time to see a better knock than that. Turned out to be 48 hours.

"He's one of the most valuable players in this competition.

"He's a local lad who's made good, a Worcestershire boy through and though and he's going to the big lights. But he plays to win, whether it's for us, Surrey or whoever.

"Credit to him for the way he's fulfilling the remainder of his contract in the way he has."

Hampshire manager Giles White told BBC Solent:

"It was very disappointing for us because we came in with high expectations and hoped to be among the leaders by the end of it.

"Unfortunately it didn't work out that way and we were beaten comprehensively by a better side.

"We got a decent score on that wicket because it was tough to score when the ball got older but, when we bowled, they hit us hard. We didn't bowl well, we didn't execute our plans and we dropped a couple of chances, and you can't do that against quality players - and Davies and Solanki are fine players."

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