In a thrilling encounter at the Metro Bank One-Day Cup, Surrey managed to break their streak of five straight defeats by defeating Leicestershire by 17 runs, denting Leicestershire’s hopes of making it to the knock-out stages.
The star of the show was the in-form Dom Sibley, who scored his second hundred in three matches, with a magnificent 105. Sibley, who had previously scored 149 against Warwickshire and 72 against Nottinghamshire, formed crucial partnerships with Ryan Patel (72) and Ben Geddes (61) to help Surrey post a competitive total of 296 for 6.
Despite a late collapse in the last eight overs, Surrey had done enough to put pressure on Leicestershire. Opener Sol Budinger, who has been impressive throughout the competition, contributed with a solid 70 runs, but it was not enough to chase down Surrey’s total. Tom Scriven’s career-best knock of 55 also gave Leicestershire hope of a comeback, but ultimately they fell short.
The bowling efforts of Cameron Steel, who took 3 for 48, played a crucial role in Surrey’s victory. Ian Holland and Scriven were the standout bowlers for Leicestershire, with 19-year-old seamer Sam Wood showing promise on his List A debut.
The match saw a scintillating start from Surrey’s openers Sibley and Patel, who provided the team with a much-needed strong foundation. Sibley’s century and Patel’s quickfire runs set the tone for Surrey’s innings.
Despite a spirited fightback from Leicestershire towards the end, Surrey managed to hold their nerves and come out victorious. The match ended with a brilliant catch by Patel, sealing Surrey’s first win of the season and denying Leicestershire a spot in the knock-out stages.
