Chopra carries on his indomitable form

Warwickshire 294 for 5 beat Leicestershire 285 for 7 by nine runs
Scorecard

Varun Chopra continued his prolific start to the season as Warwickshire beat Leicestershire by nine runs to register their first Clydesdale Bank 40 victory since winning the trophy at Lord's last September.

The former Essex opener made 115 from 110 balls as the holders piled up 294 for 5 - 27 short of their record 40-over score in the corresponding fixture last May - and overcame James Taylor's 101 in restricting Leicestershire to 285 for 7.

Not content with two double-centuries in the County Championship, Chopra compiled his first limited-overs hundred for Warwickshire and comfortably surpassed his previous one-day best of 102 for Essex against Middlesex in 2007.

Now in the form of his life after an injury-interrupted first season in the midlands, he systematically dissected the bowling, reaching his 50 with six boundaries and then adding one more four and three sixes before he was dismissed in 37th over.

Having survived one sketchy shot over mid-on off Alex Wyatt early in his innings, he completed his century before Wayne White misjudged a clear-cut chance at deep mid-wicket off Nadeem Malik.

Leicestershire often looked ragged in the field as Warwickshire turned up the heat after a routine start in which William Porterfield (32) was the more positive of the openers until he dragged White's fourth delivery to short mid-wicket.

Chopra gathered momentum in a partnership of 116 with Mohammad Yousuf. The two batsmen matched other, run for run, until Yousuf (56) failed to clear deep square leg and gave the unusually expensive Claude Henderson his only success in eight overs costing 70 runs.

Chopra was finally caught at long-on off White and Rikki Clarke, having hit two sixes in a quick-fire 39, was bowled by Matthew Hoggard.

Josh Cobb (40) and Jacques Du Toit (39) gave the Foxes a solid platform and Mathew Boyce stepped up the pace with 48 from 31 balls in a partnership of 78 in 7.4 overs with the resourceful Taylor.

They plundered 35 in two overs from Keith Barker during the second batting powerplay, and when Boyce was caught at mid-on - a second wicket for Loughborough University off-spinner Maurice Holmes - Taylor went on to his century in 85 deliveries.

The England Lions batsman, who managed only eight boundaries in a perfectly paced innings, was bowled next ball by Chris Woakes.

Leicestershire then needed 26 from the last two overs but fell short despite White's six off Woakes in reaching 29 not out.