Surrey   vs Leicestershire

Metro Bank One Day Cup

Surrey  325 (50)  Leicestershire 329-5 (42.2)

Leicestershire won by 5 Wickets

Peter Moore at The Kia Oval

Ben Foakes maiden List A hundred wasn’t enough to prevent Leicestershire from commencing their Metro Bank One-Day Cup Group a campaign with a five-wicket victory over Surrey at the Kia Oval.

Louis Kimber pummelled the home attack to all parts of the ground with a brutal 89 not out off 62 balls including five sixes with the visitors cruising to their total with 7.4 overs to spare.

Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bowl first. Inside the opening six overs this looked a good decision with both openers back in the hutch.

Ryan Patel(17) was the first to go after chasing a wide delivery from Wiann Mulder to Colin Ackermann. Rory Burns(5) followed in the next over after being adjudged that he nicked it to Peter Handscomb behind the stumps. The Surrey skipper at the time felt that he hadn’t touched the ball, and clearly was unlucky to be given out with the replay showing the ball had brushed his pad.

It was down to Dom Sibley and Ben Foakes to dig Surrey out of a spot of bother with the pair adding 66 for the third wicket before Sibley(34) edged Josh Bull behind.

Jordan Clark deposited Tom Scriven over the short boundary for the first maximum of the match before Scriven got his revenge when Clark(19) dragged on.

Cam Steele joined Foakes in the middle and gave Foakes excellent support with a well worked half century before falling for 50 coming off 40 balls with the stand worth 95.

Foakes was looking comfortable in the middle and it was no surprise when he brought up his century with a push into the covers. His three figures coming off 103 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

Foakes’s find innings ended when he was caught behind for 106 to leave Surrey 249 for 6 with nine overs to go.

There was still time for Tom Scrivens to pick up his fourth wicket after Yousef Majid(2) played on.

Ben Geddes hit Scriven over long off to bring up his half century before depositing him over long on for a maximum. Geddes wasn’t finished yet, in the same over he carved Sriven over deep point for another maximum, with Scriven picking up his fifth wicket of the innings with the penultimate delivery of the innings when he tried to repeat the same shot but fell at point for 67 made off 39 balls, with Surrey bowled out for 325 and Scriven picking up figures of 5 for 66.

Surrey took to the field with Foakes who was suffering from a slight knee niggle, with Josh Blake taking over the gloves.

Leicestershire’s reply got off to a flyer with Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger posting 33 inside the opening four overs before Patel(16) slapped a delivery from Matt Dunn straight to Clark at mid-on.

Budinger smashed seven boundaries in his 33 before being caught at mid-on to leave Leicestershire 69 for 2 in the ninth over.

The visitors continued to score runs quickly with Lewis Hill and Peter Handscomb adding 81 for the third wicket before Steel struck to remove Hill for 46.

Leicestershire suffered a blow when Colin Ackermann(3) was run out after a  mix up in the middle to a fine throw from Steel at fine leg with Blake taking the bails off quickly.

Steel was back in the action again shortly afterwards when he removed Handscomb(57), but the home sides hopes were dashed when an outstanding unbroken partnership of 146 between Louis Kimber and Wiann Mulder 67 saw the visitors home with plenty of overs to spare.