One-Day Cup: Surrey collapse to agonising one-run defeat at Leicestershire
- Published
Harry Swindells anchored the Leicestershire innings with a career-best List A knock
Leicestershire fought back to claim a thrilling one-run win at home after a spectacular late Surrey collapse.
Chasing a rain-revised target of 227, Surrey needed just three runs from five balls with three wickets in hand.
But Rikki Clarke (82) fell lbw to Ben Mike (3-34) who bowled Matt Dunn with the penultimate ball after Dan Moriarty was run out as Surrey fell just short.
Earlier Harry Swindells (75) and Arron Lilley (41) helped the Foxes post 253-9 from their 50 overs.
Leicestershire's second win of the campaign moved them off the bottom of Group One up to seventh, while Surrey stayed sixth.
After Lilley plundered four boundaries and two sixes in an entertaining 28-ball innings, Cameron Steel (4-33) ripped through the Leicestershire top order.
He removed Lewis Hill, George Rhodes, Louis Kimber and then the key wicket of opener Swindells to reduce the hosts to 177-6.
Ed Barnes (33 not out) and last man Will Davis (15 not out) added useful runs to help the hosts to a defendable target.
Two rain delays early in the Surrey reply left them chasing 227 from 39 overs, and Ryan Patel's 33-ball 52, followed by an 84-run fourth-wicket stand from Clarke and skipper Jamie Smith (34), put them firmly in control at 173-3.
Leicestershire kept chipping away, with Barnes (2-34) and teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed (2-25) recording best List A figures, yet Clarke appeared to be anchoring the visitors to victory, moving them to 217-6 and needing 10 runs with nine balls in hand.
However, after surviving two run-out attempts from Gavin Griffiths in the penultimate over, Clarke - and Surrey's - luck ran out in dramatic fashion.
Leicestershire's Harry Swindells said:
"We thought we were about 25 under par with our score so to win by one run is amazing. The boys showed a lot of character.
"All the boys stood up. Benny (Mike) was brilliant at the end and for Rehan (Ahmed) to bowl like he did as a 16-year-old was incredible and he is definitely one to look out for in the future.
"Smith and Clarke were going really well but there was enough in the pitch - it was spinning, the odd one was keeping low and some were bouncing more and we kept saying that if we get a couple of wickets we are back in it. We just had to bowl well and thankfully we did."
Surrey's Rikki Clarke said:
"It was a pretty bitter pill to swallow, if I'm honest. We were totally in control pretty much through the game after bowling beautifully.
"Cameron Steel bowled beautifully with great control of his line and lengths and should have had a five-for but unfortunately put down a caught and bowled. He looks a great addition to the side.
"And then we were in complete control with the bat but ended up losing ourselves rather than them winning it. We lost key wickets at crucial times and I lost a bit of rhythm. I take complete responsibility and should have seen us home but unfortunately it was not to be."