Ian Holland stars for Leicestershire with ball and bat

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Lewis Hill’s 71* also pivotal in eight-wicket win over Yorkshire

Dom Bess’s career-best 60 was in vain  •  Getty Images

Leicestershire 152 for 2 (Hill 71*, Holland 42) beat Yorkshire 236 for 7 (Bess 60, Revis 55, Scriven 2-35, Holland 2-39) by eight wickets (DLS method)

Ian Holland starred for champions Leicestershire with ball and bat as they maintained hopes of a Metro Bank One-Day Cup title defence with a rain-affected eight-wicket win over Yorkshire at Scarborough, the Foxes chasing a revised 22-over target of 150.

All-rounder Holland took the new ball and returned 2 for 39 from 10 overs before opening the batting with 42 off 25 balls as Leicestershire won for the fourth time in six fixtures to move into the top three places in Group B.

Helped by captain Lewis Hill‘s excellent 71 not out off 54 balls with four sixes, Holland dented Yorkshire’s chances. They lost for the third time in six having made 236 for 7 from 50 overs after being inserted before rain at the mid-innings interval forced a two-hour delay to 5pm.

The Vikings recovered from 118 for 6 thanks to a career-best 60 from Dom Bess and 55 not out for Matthew Revis, the seventh-wicket pair sharing 112. But the exploits of Holland and then Hill usurped their contributions.

Alongside Holland, Tom Scriven and 17-year-old debutant Alex Green also struck twice apiece in Leicestershire’s five-man seam attack.

The champions were exceptional with the ball during the first half of the innings having elected to bowl on the same pitch used for Yorkshire’s win against Essex on Tuesday.

Along with taking four early wickets, reducing the Vikings to 79 for 4 inside 25 overs, they exerted significant control and conceded only three boundaries in that time.

Tall Academy seamer Green encouraged after Holland had struck twice with the new ball to get Fin Bean caught behind and Shan Masood at cover.

Holland also had a hand in the third wicket as he took the catch at mid-on after Harry Duke had miscued a pull at Scriven before James Wharton, for 23, pulled Roman Walker to deep midwicket. Just when Yorkshire tried to accelerate, with George Hill and Luxton hitting a six apiece, they were checked by both men departing in quick succession as the score fell to 118 for six in the 35th over.

Hill was caught in the ring off a miscued pull at Green before Luxton was caught behind against Scriven.

But as good as Leicestershire were early on, Bess and Revis matched them late on in their century partnership to give Yorkshire a competitive total.

They shared three leg-side sixes and reached their fifties late in an innings which saw 93 runs come from the last 10 overs. Revis got to 50 first off 47 balls and before Bess’s came off 48. Both finished having faced 51 balls.

Bess had hit an unbeaten 53 – also a career best – in Tuesday’s win against Essex.

Even though Leicestershire were helped by Duckworth Lewis Stern, their task still didn’t look straightforwards given ideal bowling conditions under gloomy skies.

But Holland set the tone by square driving Hill for four after three balls of the chase.

He found the boundary regularly afterwards and was strong on both sides of the wicket.

And the loss of opening partner Sol Budinger – caught at mid-on off Hill, 18 for one – was not costly.

When Holland fell, well caught at square-leg by diving sub-fielder Yash Vagadia off Dom Leech, the Foxes had control at 62 for two in the eighth over.

Hill hit Dan Moriarty’s left-arm spin for six over long-off – his second six – as Leicestershire reached the 10-over mark at 80 for two. And when Hill reached his fifty off 37 balls, the game was all but over at 113 for two in the 14th.

Hill dominated an unbroken 90 stand with third-wicket partner Ajinkya Rahane (28) as victory was sealed with 2.2 overs remaining.