Middlesex and Leicestershire Set One-Day Cup Final After Dramatic Semi-Finals
Middlesex and Leicestershire will meet in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final on 20 September 2026 after both came through semi-final Sunday on 16 August with wildly different kinds of victory — one a great escape, the other a nerveless thrashing of the favourites.
Middlesex beat Durham by two wickets, chasing 255 despite slumping to 145 for seven. Luke Hollman's unbeaten 83 carried them home, rescuing a chase that looked dead and buried when Durham's bowlers ripped through the top and middle order. Ben Stokes featured for Durham but could not prevent the collapse of their defending position. Sky Sports
Leicestershire's path to the final was more straightforward but no less impressive. They had earned a bye straight to the semi-finals by winning their group, and at Grace Road they made it count — beating Nottinghamshire by 24 runs. Hamza Shaikh's century powered Leicestershire to 303 for seven, and teenager Alex Green delivered the decisive moment by removing Kyle Verreynne, Nottinghamshire's centurion from their quarter-final win over Yorkshire. The Guardian
The knockout stages had produced memorable runs for both beaten semi-finalists. Durham reached the last four by defeating Lancashire at Old Trafford, where David Bedingham's century and Ollie Robinson's 76 set up the chase and Shafiqullah Ghafari's four wickets kept Lancashire in check. Nottinghamshire's quarter-final against Yorkshire was the thriller of the round — Ben Coad and George Hill reduced Notts to 1 for 3, but Verreynne and Jack Haynes each scored centuries to overhaul Yorkshire's 273 for 9. The Guardian
Leicestershire and Middlesex had both topped their groups to earn byes through the quarter-final stage, meaning they arrived at the semi-finals fresh while their opponents had already navigated a knockout round. That advantage showed — Leicestershire never looked troubled chasing their own total, and Middlesex had enough left in the tank to recover from a position that would have sunk most sides.
For Leicestershire, the final offers a shot at a major trophy that has eluded the county in this format for years. Head coach Claude Henderson, speaking to BBC Talking Foxes ahead of the semi-final, had backed his side's group-stage form to translate into knockout success. Leicestershire CCC
For Middlesex, the Hollman innings will be the abiding memory — a 20-year-old walking to the crease at 145 for 7 with the season on the line and walking off unbeaten on 83 with a final to play for. Sky Sports
The final is scheduled for Sunday 20 September 2026 at Trent Bridge, with Leicestershire CCC confirming the date on 11 August. Leicestershire CCC
What makes this final intriguing is the contrast in journeys. Leicestershire cantered through their group, skipped the quarter-finals, and won their semi-final with something to spare. Middlesex took the same group-winning route but were pushed to the brink by Durham and survived only through a single remarkable hand. Both arrive at Trent Bridge with one more match to define their season.
