Out-of-favour India Test batter Ajinkya Rahane starred for Leicestershire in their four-wicket victory (DLS Method) over Gloucestershire in the England Domestic One-Day Cup 2024 at the County Ground, Bristol on Wednesday.
Rahane (62) and Peter Handscomb (65 not out) staged an outstanding match-winning partnership of 120 to chase down a revised target of 196 in a contest reduced by rain to 36 overs a side.
Rahane was first to his half-century, attaining that landmark via 59 deliveries and bringing up the 100 partnership in the process, while Handscomb required seven balls fewer to realise 50 as the required rate came down to five an over for the first time.
Having accrued 7 fours and a brace of sixes, Rahane was looking to accelerate when his 76-ball innings came to an abrupt halt, Hammond taking a catch at short extra off the bowling of Smith to afford Gloucestershire the breakthrough they so desperately needed. But Kimber promptly smashed 23 in one over from van Buuren, helping himself to 3 sixes and a four, to effectively quash any prospect of a West Country revival.
Having already raised two hundreds in the competition this season, Handscomb reaffirmed his rich vein of form, the Australian mustering 5 fours and 2 sixes in a superbly-judged innings of 70 balls, while Louis Kimber contributed a quickfire 28 in 18 balls to put the outcome beyond doubt as Leicestershire recovered from 19-3 to win with something to spare.
Put into bat on a used pitch beneath low cloud cover, Gloucestershire struggled to build partnerships and came up short on 192/9, Cameron Bancroft top-scoring with 36. Leicestershire took full advantage of the damp conditions, seamer Tom Scriven claiming 3-37 from seven overs and Liam Trevaskis and Alex Green weighing in with two wickets apiece in a disciplined performance with the ball.
Victory helped defending champions Leicestershire secure a second-place finish in Group B and their reward will be a home quarter-final tie against Hampshire at Grace Road on Friday in a repeat of last season’s final.
