Bears beat Pears, Foxes beat Hants in cup quarters

Kai Smith's previous highest score for the Bears was 44

Teenager Kai Smith produced the innings of his young life to rescue Warwickshire from trouble against Midlands rivals Worcestershire and propel the Bears to the One-Day Cup semi-finals.

Coming in as number seven at Edgbaston, the 19-year-old called it "something I'll take to my grave" after smashing five sixes and 13 fours in his unbeaten 130 off 104 balls, complemented by 75 from former skipper Will Rhodes.

The Bears' reward for a four-wicket win on Friday will be a trip to Cardiff to face Glamorgan in Sunday's semi-final, while holders Leicestershire will contest the other last-four game against Somerset at Taunton.

The Foxes booked their place by beating Hampshire, this time chasing down a daunting total of 290-8 to win by three wickets with just a ball to spare.

Trevaskis and Cox keep cool

In a repeat of last year's final, when Hampshire looked on course for victory, only to be undone by a stunning Harry Swindells century, this time, batting first, they had Leicestershire in even more trouble.

Skipper Nick Gubbins hit his highest List A score for Hampshire, a superb 136, backed up by Liam Dawson's 50 and 18-year-old Dominic Kelly's 39 from just 20 balls as the visitors posted 290-8.

After slumping to 30-3, Leicestershire's star duo of Australian Peter Handscomb (74) and Indian Ajinkya Rahane (70) then shared a fourth-wicket stand of 128.

When Rahane went, they were 188-6 in the 35th over and it looked like Hampshire would avenge that 2023 Trent Bridge final.

But the Foxes were not done, largely thanks to a seventh-wicket stand of 94 in 82 balls between Liam Trevaskis (60 not out) and Ben Cox (45). Although Cox was caught in the deep, Tom Scriven came in to help Trevaskis get the job done.

"At halfway, we felt that restricting them to anything under 300 would put us in with a chance, so the bowlers deserve credit," Trevaskis told BBC Radio Leicester.

"We were 30-3 at the start of our innings but Handscomb and Rahane are world-class players who turn up when it matters. They were brilliant. That's why you sign overseas players. Myself and Ben then just assessed how the pitch was playing and got ourselves going."

The day's two losing One-Day Cup quarter-final centurions Jake Libby (left) and Nick Gubbins

Teenager Smith the Bears hero

Worcestershire had to give up home advantage for their quarter-final as New Road was being used by England Lions and Sri Lanka.

It looked like it would not matter when they made 286-9, thanks to a stylish 112 from skipper Jake Libby, this year's One-Day Cup leading run-scorer, who built on the 54 off 64 balls from Bears old boy Ed Pollock.

Warwickshire looked in deep trouble at 77-5, including the loss of captain Ed Barnard for 29 and then Ethan Brookes' run-out of his former Bears team-mate Michael Burgess from cover point.

As he dived to stop the Warwickshire keeper's cover drive, Burgess aborted his run but just too late as Brookes stood up and threw down one stump at the striker's end.

But Smith eclipsed his previous List A best score of 44 as the game was turned in a sixth-wicket stand of 181 in 163 balls between Smith and Rhodes, who was out with four overs left but they had still done enough to help the Bears get home with six balls to spare.

"It was truly special," Smith told BBC Radio WM. "In other games I have gone in different situations so it was nice to have a bit of a challenge and see how I could approach that and luckily it went well.

"It was a very long road to start with, but I love batting with Rhodesy and going out there to bat with him. We just looked to enjoy ourselves and take it step by step.

"The nerves were definitely there, but it is just a case of turning them into excitement and I found myself in the zone."

For all the many connections between the two neighbouring teams, including a Worcestershire side run by Ashley Giles and Alan Richardson, the best was arguably Bears opener Theo Wylie and Pears paceman Jack Home, who were both in the Shrewsbury School first XI this summer and only left last month.

Kai Smith, who was born in Dubai, was first recommended to the Bears by former coach Dougie Brown