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Knight denied by stubborn Warwickshire

Leicestershire (205-9) bt Warwickshire (212-7) by 1 wkt (D-L method)

Nick Knight produced the perfect answer to the England selectors who omitted him from the World Cup team with the First hundred by a Warwickshire player in this competition for two years.

Knight's third century in this sort of cricket was not, however, enough to halt Leicestershire who, despite a dreadful collapse, recorded their First win of the summer after rain reduced their target to 205 from 42 overs.

Where Knight received little support until the arrival of Ashley Giles, Ben Smith found more reliable allies in Chris Lewis and Jonathan Dakin. Yet victory was achieved only off the last ball of the day, sent down at 8.15pm.

Knight twice lashed Mike Kasprowicz for six and had eight other boundaries in a chanceless effort made from 139 balls.

After an early success, Warwickshire were being picked off by Ben Smith, who put on 90 in 17 overs with Dakin. The game looked won but Smith struck the ball straight to mid-on and set off for a foolish single. His dismissal sparked an extraordinary collapse with six wickets falling for 44 runs in 10 overs.

When Kasprowicz spooned a catch to short extra cover, Leicestershire had little hope of victory. But with 15 wanted off 10 balls, Brown bowled a no-ball. The following free-hit cost four runs, Paul Nixon smashed Giles over mid-wicket for six and Mullally drove the winning run off the last ball.