Leicestershire Foxes take on Middlesex in the Metro Bank One Day Cup Final on Sunday with both sides looking to put a little gloss on what have been underwhelming seasons by securing some silverware.
Leicestershire might yet have another reason to celebrate as, following a 27-point deduction for breaching pitch regulations earlier this week, they gave themselves a glimmer of hope of survival in the County Championship by securing a five-wicket win over Hampshire, whose relegation was confirmed by the defeat.
Still, they are 19 points behind Essex going into their final game, which is against title-chasing Warwickshire, and the One Day Cup offers a very welcome distraction, particularly as they have recent history in the competition, having won it in 2023.
Middlesex have had a largely inconsistent campaign and fell well short in their promotion bid following four wins, five losses and four draws, leaving them 40 points short of third-placed Northamptonshire, who they play in their finale.
However, they have been consistent in the One Day Cup, losing only one of their nine games so far and should be feeling confident going into Sunday's showpiece at Trent Bridge.
Leicestershire Foxes v Middlesex Tips Summary
Best Bet - Middlesex to win @ 11/10
Alternative Bet - Hamza Shaikh top Leicestershire Foxes batter @ 15/4
Bet Builder Tip - Hamza Shaikh over 24.5 runs, Nathan Fernandes over 25.5 runs & Alex Green 2+ wickets @ 25/4
Leicestershire Foxes v Middlesex Prediction
Best Bet: Middlesex to win @ 11/10
Leicestershire have been installed as the 4/6 favourites, perhaps having won this competition in 2023, while Middlesex have won no silverware since the County Championship in 2016.
However, Peter Fulton's men have swept all before them to reach this stage, suffering a lone defeat to defending champions Worcestershire at the end of July before reeling off five straight wins, passing 300 in three of those victories.
Their bowlers have also done damage, dismissing Hampshire for 124 and Glamorgan for 66, as well as defending 246 against Yorkshire - ultimately winning by 35 runs - and their all-round talent makes them dangerous underdogs.
They came through a tough semi-final against a strong Durham side and look worth supporting to down the favourites, with Leicestershire not having fond memories of Trent Bridge having been dismissed for 199 in a convincing Nottinghamshire win in the group stage.
The Foxes did of course gain their revenge over Notts in the semi-final at Grace Road after posting 303, but that was only the second time they had reached 300 in the competition - after they were smashed for 383 by Lancashire in a 21-run defeat.
Middlesex have shared the workload around and have enough talent with both bat and ball to pose a very real threat, and look worth supporting at 11/10.
Alternative Bet: Hamza Shaikh top Leicestershire Foxes batter @ 15/4
Hamza Shaikh has had an excellent campaign for the Foxes and looks worth supporting at 15/4 to top score for his side on Sunday.
The 20-year-old has been a consistent performer throughout and easily leads the way for Leicestershire with 509 runs at an average of 84.83, good enough to rank sixth overall while he is 202 runs clear of his nearest team-mate, Rishi Patel.
Shaikh has come to the fore at the business end too, scoring 93 against Kent in the final group game before cracking 104 against Nottinghamshire in the semi-finals.
He also made 63 and 22 in his two innings against Hampshire so is in good nick going into the final.
Given Stephen Eskinazi has been dismissed for single figures in five of his last seven innings, and others' inconsistencies, Shaikh looks a standout to top score for the Foxes.
Leicestershire Foxes v Middlesex Bet Builder Tip
- Hamza Shaikh over 24.5 runs
- Nathan Fernandes over 25.5 runs
- Alex Green 2+ wickets
Pays 25/4
Shaikh is the Foxes leading runscorer, finding a consistency unmatched by his colleagues and 25 runs looks well within reach, given he has made 35, 20 not out, 29, 93 and 104 in his last five innings in this competition.
Nathan Fernandes has had a good tournament so far, amassing 380 runs at an average of 42.22, sharing Middlesex's top scorer rank and, with his last three innings in the One Day Cup reading 29, 92 and 44, he looks capable of passing his run line.
Alex Green has enjoyed a fantastic campaign with the ball, and is the joint-leading wicket-taker with 18 from eight games.
He took 4-40 in the semi-final win over Nottinghamshire, while he also claimed three-fers against Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Somerset so two more on Sunday would not be a surprise.
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Key Match Stats
- Leicestershire finished top of Group A with five wins and three defeats, but a better net run-rate than Lancashire and Nottinghamshire
- Middlesex topped Group with seven wins out of eight
- The Foxes passed 300 for only the second time when beating Nottinghamshire by 23 runs in the semi-finals
- Middlesex passed 300 in their last three group games, before chasing down 255 in their semi-final win over Durham
- Leicestershire's Alex Green is the joint-leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets from eight matches
- Middlesex's Naavya Sharma ranks joint-third with 17 wickets from eight matches
- The Foxes' Hamza Shaikh will be the leading runscorer on show having made 509 from his eight innings so far
- Josh De Caires and Nathan Fernandes have both scored 380 runs for Middlesex
Tactics, Form and Team News
England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed is set for just his second appearance in the competition this season, while Rishi Patel and Ben Cox will hope to bow out on a high, with the former agreeing to join Hampshire and the latter still to decide on where his future lies.
Hamza Shaikh has made an outstanding 509 runs at an average of 84.83, while seamer Alex Green has excelled with the ball in taking 18 wickets at 19.94 and an economy rate of 5.79.
Predicted Leicestershire Foxes XI: Stephen Eskinazi (c), Rishi Patel, Rehan Ahmed, Hamza Shaikh, Nick Kelly, Ben Cox (wk), Ben Green, Ian Holland, Tom Scriven, Ajaz Patel, Alex Green.
Naavya Sharma and Tom Helm were both left out of the Middlesex squad for the County Championship match against Gloucestershire, but look likely to feature at Trent Bridge, as does Max Holden.
Sharma has taken 17 wickets in the One Day Cup this season, with Noah Cornwell just behind him on 15, while opening pair Josh de Caires and Nathan Fernandes have both made 380 runs in the competition on the way to the final.
Predicted Middlesex XI: Josh de Caires, Nathan Fernandes, Max Holden, Ben Geddes (c), Joe Cracknell (wk), Caleb Falconer, Luke Hollman, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Helm, Noah Cornwell, Naavya Sharma.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
