LEICESTERSHIRE'S batsmen gorged themselves on a feast of 'rabbit pie' bowling, but their total, the second highest in the 27 years of this competition, may still not be enough to assure them of a semi-final place.
Whether they progress further depends on the outcome of the games involving Warwickshire and Lancashire today. Leicestershire's final overall run-rate stands at 23.32, which puts them top of their group.
Opening batsman Darren Maddy flayed the Minor Counties bowling and scored his second century in this season's competition, his 151 earning him his third Gold Award, and he was in the mood to progress to the first double hundred when he went down the pitch to spinner Jonathan Fielding. Fielding gave the delivery some width but the batsman kept going and edged high into the gully area.
Two Minor Counties bowlers went for more than nine runs an over yet in the midst of this mediocrity and mayhem the tall Marcus Sharp from Cumberland stood out like a beacon. He bowled his medium-fast deliveries up the slope with the new ball and considering the punishment his colleagues endured, Sharp's figures of one for 29, including the only three maidens bowled, were remarkable.
As Leicestershire passed their own competition record, 371 against Scotland last year, Jonathan Dakin scored 44 off 29 balls and stand-in captain Chris Lewis an unbeaten 55 off 30 balls.
There was even a chance they would overhaul the record of 388 scored by Essex in 1992, when this was a 55-over competition. By the final over, when 16 were still needed, Lewis was in a state of exhaustion after all his stolen singles, but even though Leicestershire finished six runs short this was a record in the present 50-over format.
Leicestershire's attack made another abysmal start in terms of wides. There were three in Alan Mullally's first over and he soon retired with a pain in the neck.
Former Surrey batsman David Ward took 18 off David Millns' first over and Lewis used five bowlers by the 1th, when Minor Counties had already reached 74.
Vince Wells then demonstrated the value of bowling straight with a personal best of six for 25 to ensure the margin of victory became the second-highest in terms of runs in this competition.
South Africa will face a side including six full Test players for their traditional early tour match against the Duke of Norfolk's XI at Arundel on May 17.
The team will be led by former England opener Hugh Morris, and West Indian pair Desmond Haynes and Jimmy Adams have been included alongside Allan Lamb. Worcestershire provide two former Test players, Richard Illingworth and wicketkeeper Steve Rhodes, for one of the strongest Duke of Norfolk's line-ups in years.
Hampshire have sold the County Ground in Southampton to building firm Berkeley Homes for £5 million.
The County Ground has been Hampshire's home since 1885 and they will use the money to help finance the building of their new ground at West End on the northern outskirts of the city.