Leicestershire top the table after racing to victory

Australian Daniel Marsh steered Leicestershire to a crushing victory over Notts with a brilliant all-round performance in the Norwich Union League clash at Oakham.

Marsh hit an unbeaten 67 off 61 balls, having taken 4-44 plus a spectacular catch in the Notts innings of 204.

Leicestershire then raced to their victory target with nine overs to spare to replace Notts at the top of the first division table.

Jon Dakin and Vince Wells set the tempo with an opening stand of 70 in just nine overs - a partnership dominated by the left-handed Dakin.

He smashed 65 off 55 balls with 12 fours and scored at such a rate that the 50 came up in the sixth over for the home side.

And even when Dakin was finally caught at long on as he went for a big six there was no respite for the toiling Notts attack.

Marsh, who had made an unbeaten 97 in the previous Norwich Union game at Surrey, took over from where Dakin left off.

He and Ben Smith shared a fourth-wicket stand of 96 in 20 overs with Marsh taking 16 in one over off Andy Harris and then reaching his 50 with successive boundaries off Richard Stemp.

His half-century came off 46 balls with ten fours and he was still there at the finish when Darren Maddy hit the winning runs.

Marsh and Maddy had also combined to wreck the Notts innings by taking the last five wickets for five runs in 12 balls between them as Notts slumped from 199-5 to 204 all out.

Paul Johnson top-scored with 75 while Marsh claimed 4-44 and Maddy 3-20.