TOM Prest believes his Hampshire teammates will eventually feel "proud" once they've had time to reflect on their defeat against Leicestershire in the One-Day Cup final.

Hampshire fell just two runs short of the Foxes in a thrilling final at Trent Bridge.

Wicketkeeper Harry Swindells had marked his first appearance in this season’s competition with a magnificent unbeaten 117 - his first century in limited-overs cricket.

Swindells and Sam Evans, both Leicester-born, were the unlikely heroes, sharing a seventh-wicket partnership of 151 with Evans posting a maiden List A half-century in only his third appearance of the campaign.

They rescued Leicestershire from 19 for four and 89 for six after opting to bat first to set the 2018 champions a target of 268 to win.

Hampshire, for whom Keith Barker and Scott Currie took three wickets each, ran them close, with half-centuries from Prest and Liam Dawson, but ultimately came up short after needing eight off the last over.

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At that point, 19-year-old left-arm pace bowler Josh Hull - Leicestershire’s most expensive bowler on the day -  holding his nerve when it mattered to concede just five runs and take his second wicket to see the Foxes home.

It is Leicestershire’s first trophy since lifting the 2011 Twenty20 Cup and their first in List A cricket since David Gower’s side beat Essex to win the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1985.

Reflecting on the dramatic defeat, Prest, who made 51 and shared a 79-run partnership with Ben Brown, said: “When we had them 19 for four and 80-odd for six we thought we could restrict them to 120 or 150 but credit to Harry Swindells, he played really well, as did Sam Evans.

“We still backed ourselves to get the runs. At the start of the day we looked at the pitch and thought 280 to 300 would be a par score.

“We always felt in control of the run chase. If one of the top four or five could have gone on to get a hundred we would have been more comfortable but we still felt in the game right up to the last over.

"When Daws (Liam Dawson) hit that six I think we needed 11 or 12 from two overs, so we were happy with where we were. It's tough that we couldn’t get over the line but to lose by two runs in the end was pretty close.

Daily Echo: Liam Dawson batting in the One Day Cup final at Trent Bridge

“Everyone feels a little bit flat at the moment but I think when we have time to reflect we’ll be pretty proud of going as far as we did in the competition.

“It has been a good competition for us in the last couple of years. It gives young players like myself a chance to play first-team cricket and we have won more games than we have lost.”

Leicestershire Foxes captain Lewis Hill added: “That innings from Harry Swindells, it was one of the best innings I have seen.

"To come in under that kind of pressure, having not played a game in the competition, to play like that, for him and Sam Evans to put together that partnership in that situation was absolutely outstanding."