Leicestershire's Cup Lead Intact but Kent Hand Foxes Defeat

Kent kept their Metro Bank Cup hopes alive with a six-wicket win over Group A leaders Leicestershire Foxes.

 

Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond hit an unbeaten 133 as Kent coasted home with two and a half overs remaining.

 

Leicestershire posted 261 for seven, thanks largely to a partnership of 98 between Hamza Shaikh and Ben Green, who made 93 and 57 not out respectively, but they never seriously threatened to take enough wickets to make things interesting.

 

After choosing to bat, Leicestershire struggled early on. Rishi Patel was caught behind off Grant Stewart 18, before Tom Scriven skied Joey Evison to Stewart for six.

 

Matt Parkinson then got both Stephen Eskinazi and Nick Kelly in the space of three balls, both stumped by Chris Benjamin, the former for 26, the latter without scoring.

 

Tawanda Muyeye got Ben Cox went for 20, Harry Finch diving forwards at mid on and Ian Holland was lbw to Jaydn Denly for 23, leaving the Foxes on 156 for six.

 

Hamza was happy to play the anchor role until the final ten, when he and Green started to hit out – he finally fell in the final over when he skied Matt Quinn to Finch at long off.

 

Tawanda Muyeye, released for one game only by the Manchester Super Giants, made 30 before he hit Ben Green to Eskinazi at long off.

 

Two quick wickets threatened to drag Leicestershire back into it. Sam Northeast was on 27 when Mo Rivzi missed a half-chance to get him caught and bowled, but he’d only moved on to 32 when he hit Holland to Ben Green at backward point.

 

Denly then went for five, attempting to reverse Mo Rivzi and getting caught by Alex Green, but Finch made a useful 30, before pulling Alex Green to a diving Ben Green at midwicket, before Chris Benjamin joined Bell-Drummond to see Kent home.