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Worcestershire captain Jake Libby has overtaken India’s Ruturaj Gaikwad to record the highest List A batting average ever. His unbeaten 109 against Sussex, his third straight century with the same score, lifted his average to 61.4. Libby now has 2,456 List A runs, including six centuries and 18 fifties, after 56 matches in the format.Jake Libby has made List A cricket history after his third consecutive century in the ongoing One-Day Cup helped him move past India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad for the highest batting average ever recorded in the format.The Worcestershire captain played a match-winning knock against Sussex on Friday, August 7, staying unbeaten on 109 off 96 balls as his team chased down a challenging target of 334. What makes his recent form even more remarkable is that Libby has scored exactly 109 in each of his last three innings in the competition.His impressive streak started with an unbeaten 109 against Middlesex, helping Worcestershire chase down 294. He followed it up with another 109 against Essex, although his team could not complete the chase after being set a target of 377. Against Sussex, however, Libby once again delivered when his team needed him most.
Libby scripts List A record
Sussex posted 333-9 in their 50 overs after several batters made useful contributions. Fynn Hudson-Prentice top-scored with 68 from 35 balls, while Jack Leaning added a patient 50. Four other Sussex batters also crossed the 30-run mark, while Freddie Price hit an unbeaten 22 off 13 balls to give the innings a strong finish.Worcestershire made a positive start to the chase, with Isaac Mohammed and Brett D’Oliveira putting together 60 runs for the opening wicket. However, both were dismissed within four overs of each other, bringing Libby to the crease with 251 runs still needed from 210 balls.Libby then took control of the chase and received important support from Kashif Ali, who scored 73 off 52 balls, and Ben Allison, who smashed 20 from just nine deliveries. Together, they guided Worcestershire to victory in the penultimate over.The unbeaten 109 lifted Libby’s List A average to 61.4 from 56 matches, taking him past Gaikwad’s 58.61. He now has 2,456 runs, six centuries and 18 fifties, with a highest score of 126*.Sam Hain is third with an average of 58.18, followed by Michael Bevan, Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Shubman Gill.
