Somerset 299 for 4 (Hildreth 110, Davis 94, Goldsworthy 57*) beat Derbyshire 298 (Hudson-Prentice 93, Guest 74, Baker 3-46, Green 3-64).
James Hildreth's eighth List A century and Steven Davies' brilliant knock of 94 helped Somerset begin their Royal London Cup defense with a six-wicket win over Derbyshire at Taunton.
Hildreth required treatment for a cramp and batted with a runner in the later stages of his innings, but guided a young side to victory with two overs to spare. Davis led with a brilliant innings of 72 balls before Hildreth weighed 110, which included nine fours and three sixes.
The visitors were dismissed for 298 after losing the toss, Fain Hudson-Prentice, who scored 93, and Brooke Guest (74) scored a career-best List A score, while 18-year-old seamer Sonny Baker scored 3 for 46 on debut. Took wickets. .
A crowd of over 3,000 at the Cooper Associates County Ground saw Derbyshire being initially reduced to 36 for 3 wickets. Baker, a product of Devon age-group cricket, caught Harry Kem and Tom Wood for 14 in a five-over spell of two overs, while Jack Brooks got Billy Godleman caught at fine leg.
Guest and Hudson-Prentice took sensible precautions and the score was reduced to 117 for 3 at the halfway point of the innings. Hudson-Prentice took advantage of anything less to reach an impressive half-century off 60 balls, while Guest cleverly picked up the gap. Ground 67 to go from delivery to fifty.
England spinner Jack Leach scored 18 runs in the 33rd over as Hudson-Prentice cleared the ropes for the second time. The stand of 142 with Guest was a Derbyshire List A record for the fourth wicket against Somerset. It ended when Hudson-Prentice was caught and bowled by new Somerset List A captain Ben Green, hitting 10 fours and two sixes.
After Anuj Dal was run out by Brooks, Guest was caught at cover by seamer Casey Aldridge, making his List A debut, scoring 224 for 6. Alex Thomson contributed 24 and last man Ravi Rampaul slammed Derbyshire for 3 sixes off Green. Before the last wicket fell in the last over.
Despite the early loss of Plymouth-born debutant Sam Young, caught behind leg side to see off-spinner Thomson, Somerset was soon in charge on a true pitch. Davies hit three fours in an over off Rampaul and looked in great rhythm. But George Bartlett flattered to cheat, carelessly pulling a short ball from Hudson-Prentice towards Dull over deep square.
Hildreth got off to a good start and when Davis reached his fifty in 46 balls with five fours and a six, the home supporters were elated. The pair continued to flourish, sharing a century partnership in 98 balls before Hildreth's typically lucrative half-century came off 62 balls.
Davis took a catch in the deep with 12 fours and a six. But Hildreth made 200 in the 35th over with a six off Ben Aitchison and found an equally positive partner in the form of 20-year-old Lewis Goldsworthy, who made his List A debut with an unbeaten 57 off 66 balls.
Hildreth struggled in the later stages of his innings, but that didn't stop him from reaching three points with six overs cover from Rampaul, before falling for just 23 runs.