One Day Cup: Best match-winning contributions by teenage breakout stars

Just two teams now remain in the Metro Bank One Day Cup as Worcestershire Rapids and Hampshire booked their spot at the Trent Bridge final on September 20.

The Rapids comprehensively brushed aside Somerset at Visit Worcestershire New Road on Sunday to reach their first List A final since 2004.

In the other semi-final, Hampshire were thankful for the return of Liam Dawson and Scott Currie from the Hundred as the 2023 runners-up saw off an Imam-ul-Haq-inspired Yorkshire at Scarborough.

Despite its battle to retain relevancy in a month dominated by the Hundred, the One Day Cup once again proved its worth with thrilling contests, a scramble to reach the knockout stages and, most-importantly, sell-out crowds across the country.

As has become the norm, the competition now offers a platform for young players to step up to first-team action whilst the big-hitters are away, and as such an opportunity to showcase their burgeoning talent as was the case with Worcestershire pace bowler Jack Home in 2024.

Here, we take a look at moments from the 2025 campaign when highly-rated teenage prodigies and potential future England internationals made a match-defining contribution for their county.

For exclusive stories and all the detailed cricket news you need, subscribe to The Cricket Paper website, digital edition, or newspaper from as little as 14p a day.

Alex Green (LEICESTERSHIRE v Surrey, August 6)

Arguably the standout breakthrough player from the One Day Cup campaign this season, Leicestershire’s strapping right-arm quick Alex Green has rose to prominence with a competition-high 18 wickets, including a remarkable three five-wicket hauls.

Standing at an imposing 6ft 7ins, the 18-year-old had made his debut during the One Day Cup in 2024.

Despite regular call-ups to the England U19s and even the Professional County Club Select XI earlier this summer, he has found opportunities for first-team action hard to come by given the Foxes’ impressive bowling stocks have performed so consistently well in the County Championship.

It was his first of the three five-wicket hauls that really caught the eye in their opener against Surrey.

Green tore through the middle order which included a peach of a delivery to remove key man Ben Foakes, ending with figures of 5-25 from 7.1 overs as Leicestershire bundled out their hosts for just 174, a target that was convincingly met with more than 20 overs remaining.

Green went on to take 5-52 in the very next match, albeit in a losing cause against Gloucestershire, before his 5-64 against Derbyshire proved decisive as Leicestershire fought back to earn a thrilling tie following last-ball drama in what was one of the games of the tournament.

With Sonny Baker’s performances during the Hundred earning him international recognition, Green is part of an exciting cartel of young fast bowlers, including the likes of Eddie Jack, to pay close attention to in the near future.

Thomas Rew (SOMERSET v Durham, August 8)

There is so much to admire about Somerset, who continue to be a strong force in 50-over cricket, despite losing a significant chunk of their formidable T20 Blast side.

Their crop of exciting young talents is spearheaded by the Rew brothers, with the youngest Thomas looking well set to follow in the footsteps of his older brother James by making a big impact in county cricket over the coming seasons.

Thomas, 17, made headlines earlier in the summer for smashing the fastest century by an England U19s player against India.

But he had only featured for Somerset in three T20 matches ahead of the One Day Cup, where he became a regular with 308 runs in ten innings at an average of 44.

After the Rew brothers steered them to victory against Middlesex in their opening game, batting together in a senior match for the first time, Thomas then took centre stage in matchday two against Durham.

He anchored a chase of 256 with a top score 84 not out from 81 deliveries, striking eight fours and two sixes, as well as sharing a valuable 95-run stand with James as the hosts reached their target with 22 balls to spare.

Taz Ali (WARWICKSHIRE v Northamptonshire, August 10)

Just like with fast bowling prospects, there is always excitement surrounding a promising young spinner, a department in which English cricket is finally beginning to see a number of talents develop, including Jafer Chohan and the Ahmed brothers.

Taz Ali, 19, has been on the radar for a little while after his impressive performances during the U19 World Cup in 2024, though this One Day Cup campaign felt like a real breakthrough month for the Warwickshire leg-spinner, returning 18 wickets at an average of 20.11 and economy less than a run-a-ball.

Similarly to Alex Green, his competition also began with back-to-back five-fers at Rugby School against Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Kent Spitfires.

Whereas the 5-54 against Kent was thanks largely to mopping up the tail, his 5-43 against Northants was perhaps slightly more impressive given the calibre of batters he removed.

They included the likes of Lewis McManus, Justin Broad, George Bartlett and Rob Keogh, with a four-wicket burst in as many overs derailing the visitors’ chase of 292 as Warwickshire secured their first win of the campaign by 62 runs.

Charlie Bennett (ESSEX v Surrey, August 15)

Following what has been a hugely disappointing County Championship and Vitality Blast season for Essex, their fans were provided with a much more positive 50-over campaign.

They recovered from a poor start to rattle off five straight wins and only narrowly missed out on a quarter-final berth.

Having been forced to rely on their talented youngsters for large periods of the season, the likes of Charlie Allison, 20 (418 runs @ 52.25) and Luc Benkenstein, 20 (303 runs and 11 wickets) really came to the fore in a side with a nice blend of experience and youth.

Nineteen-year-old seamer Charlie Bennett has not had such exposure in a side blessed with the experienced pace trio of Sam Cook, Jamie Porter and Shane Snater, with his debut for the club in a T20 Blast fixture at Taunton in July his only previous appearance, before featuring seven times during the One Day Cup.

From his 12 dismissals in total, five of them came in the crushing 244-run win over Surrey at Chelmsford, where he removed the entire visitors’ top order within the powerplay on his way to figures of 5-36 in 9.4 overs.

Surrey never looked like threatening the Curtis Campher-inspired 417-6 posted by Essex and were subsequently on the wrong end of a record One Day Cup defeat. 

Ben Dawkins (KENT v Northamptonshire, August 21)

It proved to be a disappointing One Day Cup campaign for the 2022 champions Kent Spitfires, who finished seventh in Group B with just two wins from their eight games.

Their second of those successes came away at Northamptonshire Steelbacks, where 18-year-old Ben Dawkins guided his side to a comfortable seven-wicket victory with a maiden List A century.

The right-handed opener, who only made his senior Kent debut in the County Championship fixture against Leicestershire last month, struck 12 fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 111 from 105 balls as the visitors chased a target of 244 with 32 balls to spare.

Dawkins had already enjoyed a productive summer for England U19s against India and ended the 50-over campaign with 258 runs from six innings, averaging 51.60 at a healthy strike rate of just under a run-a-ball.

Adam Thomas (SURREY v Derbyshire, August 22)

Surrey are the county most impacted by the Hundred, and whilst they may not have the resources to be a contender, their ability to remain competitive must be commended in a side with only Rory Burns and Ben Foakes for any real experience.

Opening batter Adam Thomas made his debut in the competition last year but had the opportunity for an extended run in the side to partner former England Test player Burns at the top of the order.

It proved to be a challenging campaign for the England U19 batter with five single-figure scores.

But one knock will live long in the memory for Thomas and Surrey fans alike, amassing 162 off 149 balls away at Derbyshire Falcons as the visitors piled on 388-4, their third highest team total in List A cricket.

The 19-year-old smashed 17 fours and five sixes, upon reaching his three-figure landmark then accelerated with some brutal ball-striking against seasoned pros such as Zak Chappell and Pat Brown, whilst also registering a record third-wicket partnership for the county with fellow centurion Ollie Sykes worth 265 which surpassed the 200 set by Alec Stewart and Graham Thorpe in 1989.

Ralphie Albert (SURREY v Nottinghamshire, August 24)

Just two days after their success in Derby, Surrey made it an East Midlands double as they downed Nottinghamshire in a much closer contest, settled by just a 10-run margin.

It was another member of the England’s U19 squad, Ralphie Albert, who played the starring role on this occasion as the all-rounder enjoyed his first taste of List A cricket with three appearances at the back end of the group stage.

Surrey were 100-5 when Albert walked out to the middle for his maiden professional innings but the 17-year-old produced a dazzling display as he went on to make 96 off just 75 balls, with seven fours and four sixes, which propelled the visitors to a very respectable total of 289-8.

Having taken a 10-wicket haul during the second Youth Test against India at Chelmsford last month, Albert then took his first wickets in a Surrey shirt with his left-arm spin, ending with figures of 2-50 from his 10-over allocation, to cap off a memorable day at Trent Bridge.

Ben Mayes (HAMPSHIRE v Derbyshire, August 24)

Seventeen-year-old batter Ben Mayes has had a breakthrough competition for finalists Hampshire, notching 228 runs at an average of 38 in the middle order.

After registering his maiden List A half-century (74 off 55) on debut in their tournament opener against Glamorgan, the 2007-born wicketkeeper’s most impressive knock came at the Utilita Bowl in the penultimate game of the group stage to secure his side a crucial victory on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages.

Chasing an imposing 340 set by Derbyshire Falcons, the game was evenly poised at 206-5 after 34 overs, before Mayes and the experienced head of James Fuller took charge with a 111-run partnership inside 12 overs which put the hosts on the brink of reaching their target.

Fuller perished but Mayes remained unmoved, showcasing a cool head on such young shoulders.

He was also not afraid to pull out some audacious strokes under pressure, ending unbeaten on 62 from 53 balls as Hampshire completed an enthralling chase in the final over which was also their highest ever successful run chase on home soil in List A cricket.

Sebastian Morgan (MIDDLESEX v Lancashire, August 26)

Pace bowler Sebastian Morgan also made his List A debut after a T20 bow last month, though the recently-turned 18-year-old’s most valuable contribution came with bat in hand.

Needing a win to secure a top-three finish at Lancashire in the final round of fixtures, Middlesex were in a spot of bother at 127-6 in pursuit of 292, before Morgan and Nathan Fernandes (92 off 79) produced an inspired comeback with a century stand.

Batting for the first time in a Middlesex senior fixture, the Spanish-born rookie raced to a maiden half-century, before being dismissed for 61 off 53 balls in an innings which included eight fours and one six, leaving the middle with his side within 40 runs of victory in what proved to be an epic tussle, eventually clinching the win by one wicket off the penultimate ball.

In his more primary role, Morgan had earlier claimed the wicket of the dangerous Michael Jones in an economical seven-over spell worth just 30 runs, with the England U19 member claiming a total of seven wickets across his four outings in the competition.

Daniel Lategan (WORCESTERSHIRE v Somerset, August 31)

A product of the Worcestershire academy system, South African-born batter Daniel Lategan was rewarded for a number of eye-catching displays in the Second XI with a three-year professional contract on the eve of the One Day Cup getting underway, registered as an overseas player ahead of becoming locally-qualified in 2028.

It was not until their fourth game of the competition when the 19-year-old made his debut against Derbyshire Falcons at Repton School, scoring a vital unbeaten 42 at number six to help get his side over the line.

For the final three games of the group stage, the left-handed Lategan was promoted to the top of the order and produced scores of 46, 34 and 54 as Worcestershire finished at the summit of Group A, thus progressing directly to a home semi-final.

It was then on the big stage against Somerset where Lategan saved his best knock to date, laying the foundations with a superb List A-best 78 off 82 balls against an experienced bowling attack which proved to be the top score in Worcestershire’s total of 275-9, ultimately proving too much for the visitors to chase as the Rapids secured their place in the final.

By Dom Harris

READ MORE: Cheteshwar Pujara – The last of cricket’s traditionalists?

Team of the Tournament

In addition to the number of young talents on display, there was also superb form shown by far more experienced heads on the county circuit, with this team of the tournament exemplifying some of the most consistent performers throughout the group stage.

1.    Imam-ul Haq (Yorkshire) – 688 runs @ 98.28, HS: 159, 100/50: 4/3

2.    Nick Gubbins (Hampshire) – 669 runs @ 95.57, HS: 144*, 100/50: 2/4

3.    Tom Westley (Essex) – 561 runs @ 70.12, HS: 141, 100/50: 2/3

4.    James Bracey (Gloucestershire) – 572 runs @ 63.55, HS: 186, 100/50: 2/2

5.    Jack Haynes (Nottinghamshire) – 473 runs @ 59.12, HS: 124, 100/50: 1/4

6.    Tom Lammonby (Somerset) – 390 runs @ 39, 15 wickets @ 19.33, BBI: 5/20

7.    Will Rhodes (Durham) – 429 runs @ 53.62, 14 wickets @ 26.35, BBI: 5/30

8.    Ben Allison (Worcestershire) – 17 wickets @ 17.17, Econ: 5.52, BBI: 6/35

9.    Matt Milnes (Yorkshire) – 15 wickets @ 15.93, Econ: 4.96, BBI: 7/38

10. Alex Green (Leicestershire) – 18 wickets @ 20, Econ: 6.64, BBI: 5/25

11. Taz Ali (Warwickshire) – 18 wickets @ 20.11, Econ: 5.58, BBI: 5/43

12^th Man. Simon Harmer (Essex) – 231 runs @ 77, 11 wickets @ 17, BBI: 5/47