Spitfires hold their nerve to beat the Foxes at Grace Road

NatWest Pro40: Division Two: Leicestershire Foxes v Kent Spitfires
18 August at Grace Road

Leicestershire won the toss and elected to bat

Kent won by three wickets with two balls left

Leicestershire 209 for 8, 40 overs
Taylor 95, Dippenaar 47, Nixon 19
Mahmood 4-41, Edwards 2-36, Stevens 1-18

Kent 211 for 7, 39.4 overs
Northeast 39, Kemp 38, Hockley 29
Henderson 2-24, Naik 2-46, Thompson 1-22

KENT’S young guns held their nerve to secure a tense three wicket victory over the Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road. Wicketkeeper Paul Dixey was the batting hero at the end of the innings. The rookie gloveman hit a six and a four off successive deliveries, from James Benning, to guide the Spitfires through to victory with two balls to spare.

Opener Sam Northeast led the way with the bat. The England under-19 right-hander hit 39 while skipper Justin Kemp made 38 and James Hockley 29. South African Claude Henderson was the pick of the Foxes attack with figures of 2-24 from his eight overs.

Earlier on, Leicestershire, who won the toss and elected to bat, were indebted to man-of-the-match James Taylor who hit 95 and captain Boeta Dippenaar who weighed in with 47. Azhar Mahmood was the chief destroyer with the ball. The all-rounder returned figures of 4-41.

He then hit 23, with the bat, as Kent edged towards the finishing line but the victory looked far from assured until the heroics of Dixey in the final over. The victory for the Kent Spitfires moved them to joint top in the NatWest Pro40.

Leicestershire Foxes: Benning, Boyce, Dippenaar (C), Nixon, Taylor, New (W), Thompson, White, Naik, Henderson, Gurney

Kent Spitfires: Hockley, Northeast, Blake, Kemp (C), Stevens, Mahmood, Tredwell, Dixey (W), Ferley, Khan, Edwards

Umpires: S A Garratt, J W Lloyds, T E Jesty