Sol Budinger smashed his second century against Essex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after his maiden century last season against the same attack.
The left-hander carried the Leicestershire to a seven-wicket victory with 120 runs difference in the 2023 season. He smashed four sixes and 10 fours in the match.
Noah Thain has Essex’s innings into life with the fastest One-Day Cup fifty for the club, requiring just 27 balls to get there. The England U19 all-rounder was backed up with fifties from Matt Critchley who hit 55 runs on 81 deliveries and Charlie Allison smashed 51 runs off 60 deliveries.
Critchley picked 3 wickets for 55 runs as Essex lost all 10 wickets with 15 balls to spare. The Essex seamer claimed the wicket of Harry Swindells for 17 runs, caught behind Chasing one down leg side. Recently, Jack Leach’s six-wicket haul ensured a victory for Somerset against Durham.
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Sol Budinger’s hundred inspires the Foxes to a straight @onedaycup victory away from home.
#ESSvLEI pic.twitter.com/Wy9KdXBvBV
— Leicestershire Foxes (@leicsccc) July 31, 2024
Budinger and Lewis Hill put together a partnership of fifty in seven overs and 70 in total. Critchley picked the wicket of Hill for 42 runs. Budinger was undeterred and reached his half-century from 65 balls.
Meanwhile, Ajinkya Rahane scored 37 runs on 42 deliveries before being dismissed by Richards. Critchley picked the wickets of Peter Handscomb and Ben Cox for 15 and 21 runs respectively.
Essex started their inning with Robin Das scoring 33 runs before Scriven picked his wicket on lbw. With the dismissal of Tom Westley for 31 runs by Trevaskis, Essex scored 100 runs for 3 wickets. With the middle-order half-centuries from Matt Critchley, Charlie Allison, and Noah Thain, Essex posted 290 runs.
Matt Salisbury, Ben Mike, Tom Scriven, and Liam Trevaskis picked two wickets each. In the final overs Shane Snater ramped Wright to a short fine leg, Jamal Richards dismissed on lbw to Mike, while Scriven picked the wicket of Noah Thain at Chelmsford.