Northamptonshire and Worcestershire played out a thrilling tie at Wantage Road in the Royal London Cup with Adam Rossington narrowly failing to score 14 required from the final over. 

Rossington paddle swept two boundaries off Joe Leach to leave two required from the final delivery but he couldn't connect with the last ball and Leach’s full delivery escaped wicketkeeper Ben Cox for a bye that tied the scores and left each side with a point each from a wonderful game in bitterly cold conditions.

Northants were in control of their chase of 278 with Rob Newton making a maiden List A century in 109 balls - opening the batting in one-day cricket for the first time since 2013. He shared a stand of 106 with Alex Wakely to steer Northants to 198 for 3 in the 39th over. 

But Newton dragged a lofted drive to long-on, Wakely was run-out attempting a sharp single to short third man and Steven Crook edged a cut to Cox for a golden duck as Northants slid to 219 for 6.

Rossington only had the bowlers for company but cut and drove with his usual excellent timing to keep Northants in touch. 39 were needed from 30 balls before Rossington pulled and then drove Leach for boundaries but couldn't find a big over to take complete control of the situation and when only five runs came from the penultimate over 14 were needed from the final six deliveries and Rossington couldn’t quite deliver, ending 63 not out from 45 balls.

Newton’s innings looked to have handed Northants a much-needed victory, after losing their opening two matches in the completion. He drove and cut well in an opening stand of 55 with Josh Cobb before Cobb, having lifted Leach almost onto the upper tier of the Spencer Pavilion, dragged Jack Shantry into his stumps. Richard Levi then pulled Ed Barnard with perfect timing straight to deep square and when Rob Keogh tamely chipped a return catch back to Brett D’Oliveria Northants were in a sticky spot at 92 for 3. Newton and Wakely’s subsequent fine recovery was almost wasted.

Worcestershire needed two recoveries of their own to post 277 for 9. From 118 for 5 after Daryl Mitchell made a season’s best 75, Cox made his List A best score. Dropped on 5 by Sanderson running around from long-on, he made a second successful attempt at the stroke and lifted Cobb for six. Another lofted drive cleared mid-off and he cut another boundary to take 17 from Cobb’s sixth over and drove some momentum back into the innings.

He went past fifty for the first time in List A cricket in 54 balls with three fours and two sixes - the second over long-on off White. 

When he fell - caught at third man attempting to paddle sweep Richard Gleeson - Worcestershire were 199 for 8 and in danger of being bowled out well inside the allocation. But Barnard played a gem of an innings from No. 10 to rally the innings for a second time. He struck the ball cleanly down the ground, taking Azharullah for four, then six in an unbeaten 42 from 27 balls. It proved a decisive knock.

Northants centurion Rob Newton said:

“We feel we’ve outplayed them for 85 overs and a couple of patches have let us down in a big way. We should have nailed them for 230 or 240 and looking back we probably didn’t mix up the bowling enough against the final partnership.

“We felt with 12 overs to go that was the time to nail the chase, I unfortunately got out, Alex went when he was just getting into his stride and that put us on the back foot. Adam played an unbelievable knock to almost get us over the line but we feel this is a game we should have won.”

Worcestershire director of cricket Steve Rhodes said:

“It’s been a really exciting enthralling game, just a shame the weather prevented too many coming along.

“We did really we to get the score we did, we thought we were a little above par and at one stage Northants should have won comfortably but we kept going and managed to take something from the game and maintained our unbeaten record."