Metro Bank Men’s One-Day Cup final, Trent Bridge
Middlesex 231 (49.5 overs): Higgins 100, Duke 55; Holland 5-36
Leicestershire 200 (44.2 overs): Kelly 103; Roland-Jones 3-27, Helm 3-32
Middlesex win by 31 runs
Middlesex claimed their first silverware in a decade as they fought back from a tricky start to beat Leicestershire in a thrilling One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge.
Having been put into bat by Leicestershire captain Stephen Eskinazi, Ryan Higgins’ magnificent hundred dug Middlesex out of a hole and helped them reach 231 before being bowled out in the final over of their innings.
Higgins, 31, struck nine fours in his 115-ball knock after his team had slumped to 71-5 in the 22nd over, putting on 135 with on-loan Yorkshire wicketkeeper Harry Duke (55) for the sixth wicket.
Ian Holland returned his second-best List-A figures of 5-36 for the Foxes, while England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed took 3-55.
In reply, Leicestershire too lost early wickets as former England seamer Toby Roland-Jones bowled 10 overs straight through in a fine opening spell of 3-27.
Leicestershire were indebted to the efforts of New Zealand international Nick Kelly, who reached a glorious century of his own off 103 deliveries and appeared to be taking his side to victory.
However, the game swung again in the over after Kelly reached his hundred as the left-hander heaved Tom Helm to Higgins on the mid-wicket fence to leave Leicestershire eight down.
And that proved the decisive moment as Helm dismissed Ajaz Patel and Tom Scriven skied Naavya Sharma straight up, with captain Ben Geddes taking the winning catch.
Middlesex’s most recent success was the County Championship in 2016, and they had not won a white-ball trophy since lifting the T20 Blast in 2008.
