Leicestershire have advanced to the final of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after a hard-fought 23-run victory over Nottinghamshire in a dramatic semi-final at Grace Road. The win puts Leicestershire in position to claim their second title in four seasons, with young stars Hamza Shaikh and Alex Green delivering standout performances.
Hamza Shaikh, the 20-year-old former England Under-19s captain who joined the side from Warwickshire less than a month ago, anchored the Leicestershire innings with a brilliant 104 from 109 balls. His performance, which included seven fours and two sixes, marked his second century of the competition. Shaikh shared a vital 117-run partnership with Nick Kelly, who contributed 53, helping the Group A winners reach a total of 303 for 7. Dillon Pennington was the pick of the Nottinghamshire bowlers, finishing with 3 for 65.
Despite a shaky start that saw the Foxes slip from 49 for 1 to 64 for 3—with Rishi Patel, Stephen Eskinazi, and Rehan Ahmed falling early—the middle order stabilized the innings. Following Kelly's dismissal, Shaikh accelerated his scoring, eventually equalling his List A career-best mark. Late-innings contributions, including 29 runs from 16 balls by Ian Holland, helped Leicestershire add 115 runs in the final 11 overs.
In response, Nottinghamshire’s pursuit of 304 was led by Freddie McCann, who scored 64, and Haseeb Hameed, who made 54. However, the Outlaws struggled to build a decisive partnership. The innings was disrupted by a freak incident when wicketkeeper Ben Cox was struck on the head by Hameed’s bat during a follow-through; Cox was cleared to return after medical checks. Following a mix-up with Hameed, McCann was run out, which proved to be a pivotal moment in the match.
Alex Green, the 19-year-old pace bowler, dismantled the Nottinghamshire lineup with figures of 4 for 40. As the chase faltered, Tom Scriven claimed the wickets of Hameed and Jack Haynes in consecutive balls. Although Kyle Verreynne fought back with 43, his dismissal by Green in the 48th over alongside Farhan Ahmed effectively ended Nottinghamshire’s hopes. The Outlaws were eventually bowled out for 280, falling 23 runs short of the target.
