Kelly’s 86 Leads Foxes to Thrilling Three-Wicket Win Over Warwickshire

New Zealand international Nick Kelly hit 86 to help lead Leicestershire Foxes to a thrilling three-wicket victory over Warwickshire in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Uptonsteel Grace Road, Leicester.

Kelly mounted a Foxes fightback, seizing the initiative after Olly Hannon-Dalby (3-27) ran through Leicestershire’s top-order, reducing them to 10-3, chasing a below-par 221.

Kelly was joined in a stand of 47 with Ian Holland (30) but when he fell with Leicestershire on 117-6, Ben Green (45 not out) combined with Kelly in a further partnership of 75. While Kelly departed with 29 needed off 42 balls, Green and Tom Scriven saw the Foxes home.

Leicestershire’s innings began in similar fashion with Ben Green’s double-strike which helped reduce the visitors to 31-4 on a slow pitch offering early movement. Kai Smith, though, struck 57 as he led a Warwickshire counterattack.

Smith rebuilt in stands of 62 with Vansh Jani (33) and 68 with George Garton (38), but the visitors were forced to play catch-up after that early damage.

Earlier Rob Yates and Malik fell pushing low to the slips off Ben Green and Holland respectively, while Green moved one back into bowl Dan Mousley. They lost another when Alex Davies uppercut Scriven straight to slip, leaving the visitors in peril.

When Smith got off the mark, flicking Scriven through square-leg, it was Warwickshire’s first boundary in almost 13 overs.

Runs flowed as Jani muscled Alex Green through midwicket and straight-drove Ben Mike for six. The Leicestershire seamer broke the partnership though when Jani was caught behind off an attempted pull.

Garton kept up the attack against Patel and got creative too, coming down the pitch to pull Scriven square for six.

Smith swung consecutive boundaries legside off Patel and edged Scriven to reach 50 but holed out at mid-off shortly after.

Next ball Garton was squared up and adjudged caught behind off Alex Green, although replays suggested he was unfortunate.

Michael Booth and Ethan Bamber then shared a rapid 49-run stand before Patel and Holland wrapped up the innings.

Chasing, Rishi Patel clipped Hannon-Dalby to deep square-leg before Hannon-Dalby jagged one back to castle Mike and bowled Stephen Eskinazi with his next delivery.

Jonny Tattersall counterattacked, playing Bamber off the backfoot for consecutive cover boundaries before Booth trapped him lbw.

Kelly played a beautiful straight drive off Bamber and smacked Hannon-Dalby through extra-cover, while Ben Cox took three boundaries off one Booth over.  Their alliance ended though when Cox was squared up by Taylor and was caught behind.

Holland punched Booth to deep-third, but the next boundary did not come until almost seven overs later when Kelly skipped forward to Yates. Despite that, the pair kept the scoreboard ticking and the required rate below five until Holland fell lbw to Booth.

Kelly though flayed Booth through the covers and to reach 50 off 73 balls, pulled Taylor high over square-leg for four and smacked two off-side boundaries off Booth, the initiative firmly in Leicestershire’s direction.

But when Kelly smashed a sharp return catch back to Yates, Warwickshire threatened a late surprise until Green pulled behind square for six.