‘The message now is just to enjoy it really’ – Hampshire skipper Nick Gubbins ahead of Metro Bank One-Day Cup final

With James Vince away on Hundred duty, the 29-year-old Gubbins has led the county to this weekend’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Leicestershire.

Hampshire have won nine of their 10 games in the tournament, losing only to their Trent Bridge final opponents.

“We worked really hard to get this far, so the message now is just to enjoy it really,” Gubbins in an interview with Hampshire’s social media team.

“It’s been really good fun, they’ve learnt so much in two years of winning games of cricket for Hampshire.

“We’re really excited to showcase what this young side can do. I feel we’ve built nicely on last year.

“Last year we won a lot of games but didn’t play that well at times, whereas this year we’ve played really well and fully deserve to be in the final.”

Gubbins might have mentioned having ‘this young side’ but in the semi-final against Warwickshire he had a lot of experience available to him.

England all-rounder Liam Dawson, now 33, claimed a career best 7-15 haul while Keith Barker, 36, Ben Brown, 34, and Ian Holland, 32, were also in the XI.

With 17 wickets, Holland is the tournament’s joint second-highest wicket-taker.

The only two players who were 21 or under were opener Fletcha Middleton and fellow top order batter Tom Prest.

Along with Brown, Middleton - the tournament’s fourth highest runscorer with 465 at 51.66 - and Prest are the only Hampshire ever-presents in the One-Day Cup this year.

Elsewhere, England under-19 pair Eddie Jack, who turned 18 last week, and Dom Kelly, 17, have both played six of Hampshire’s 10 games in the competition.

So has 19-year-old Joseph Eckland, so it will be interesting to see if any of those three get a game at Trent Bridge or whether Hampshire will stick to the side that thrashed Warwickshire.

Middleton (78) and Prest (65) were the top scorers when Hampshire made 296 in their Ageas Bowl group loss to Leicestershire.

Colin Ackermann’s unbeaten 93 led the Foxes to a four-wicket victory.

“We weren’t really at our best that game, we should have got 350 and put them out of the game,” Gubbins recalled.

“So the fact we took them so close, having messed up the game, gives us confidence.

“But cricket is one of those games where it’s all about what happens on the day really.”

Leicestershire will have to manage without their leading run-scorer, Australian international Peter Handscomb, who hit 401 runs with five half centuries in nine innings.

Handscomb, who has had to return home to prepare for his own domestic season, also kept wicket, which complicates the picture further.

Skipper Lewis Hill may have to take the gloves himself, although Harry Swindells is another option.

“It’s a blow that Peter can’t be with us for the final, but I’m confident that we have enough talent in the side to win without him,” Hill said.

“The important thing is that we stick with the brand of cricket that has got us to the final.

“We owe that not just to ourselves but to the fans, the members, all the people who work at the club who want to see us bring some success.”