Hampshire and Leicestershire meet in AON Trophy Final

Hampshire CCC and Leicestershire CCC will meet in this year's Aon Trophy Final at Northlands Road, Southampton on Monday 4 September (Reserve Day Tuesday 5 September).

Hampshire CCC will be appearing in its third final, hoping to win the competition for the first time after defeats in 1987 and last year, when it was beaten by Kent CCC. Leicestershire CCC has won the Trophy three times, champions in 1993, 1995 and 1996.

Sponsored by AON Risk Services and now in its 15th season, the 50-overs-a-side competition is open to the 18 First Class Counties plus a Minor Counties Xl and MCC Young Cricketers.

In the semi-final, Hampshire CCC beat Durham CCC by three wickets. Zachary Morris' four wickets helped restrict Durham to 198 runs with Andrew Sexton (72) and James Adams (51) the main contributors in the subsequent successful run chase.

Leicestershire CCC, meanwhile, overcame Kent CCC by a comfortable 150 runs at Canterbury. After scoring 239 in the allotted 50 overs, Dominic Williamson top scoring with 72, they bowled out Kent for 89 in 21.5 overs. Leg-spinner Amer Khan finished with impressive figures of four for seven in 17 balls.

ECB's Cricket Operations Manager (First-Class), Alan Fordham said: "The AON Trophy is a highly valued part of the cricket calendar. It provides budding young players with the ideal preparation for first team one-day cricket, which is often the route by which they progress to the full county side.

"Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe are among a number of players who have appeared in AON Trophy Finals and then progressed to international cricket."

Past Finals 1986 Northamptonshire (beat Essex)
1987 Derbyshire (beat Hampshire)
1988 Yorkshire (beat Kent)
1989 Middlesex (beat Kent)
1990 Lancashire (beat Somerset)
1991 Nottinghamshire (beat Surrey)
1992 Surrey (beat Northamptonshire)
1993 Leicestershire (beat Sussex)
1994 Yorkshire (beat Leicestershire)
1995 Leicestershire (beat Gloucestershire)
1996 Leicestershire (beat Durham)
1997 Surrey (beat Gloucestershire)
1998 Northamptonshire (beat Derbyshire)
1999 Kent (beat Hampshire)

For further information, please contact ECB Corporate Affairs on 020 7432 1200 Web-site: www.ecb.co.uk