Maddy the main man

Darren Maddy hits over the top during his superb unbeaten 79 at Grace Road © Getty Images

Leicestershire Foxes booked their place at Twenty20 Cup finals day for the fourth consecutive year with an emphatic nine-wicket win over Kent Spitfires in a one-sided quarter-final clash at Grace Road.

The Foxes cruised to a victory target of 154 with two overs to spare as openers Darren Maddy and HD Ackerman both hit sparkling half-centuries in a stand of 105 in the first 13 overs.

Maddy finished unbeaten on 79 off 59 balls to take the man-of-the-match award after 20-year-old fast bowler Stuart Broad had given the Foxes an electrifying start to the match by whipping through Kent's top order to claim 3-13 in an outstanding four-over spell.

It was further proof of the youngster's tremendous talent as he dismissed Kent captain Robert Key with his third ball and then claimed the wickets of Neil Dexter and Darren Stevens thanks to spectacular catches from Claude Henderson and David Masters.

With South African Tyron Henderson also run out following some sharp fielding from Masters, Kent were in total disarray at 31 for four in the fifth over.

Youngster Stuart Broad during a stunning four-over spell that yielded 3-13 © Getty Images

But they were rescued by an excellent fifth-wicket partnership of 117 in 86 balls between Martin van Jaarsveld and Matthew Walker.

Van Jaarsveld dominated the partnership before pulling a full toss from Adam Griffith into the hands of James Allenby on the square-leg boundary in the 19th over.

The South African made 75 off 46 balls with 10 fours and a six and his departure was a massive blow to Kent, who could manage only 14 runs off the last two overs of their innings.

It left Leicestershire with a modest target of 154 on what was an excellent pitch and, with Kent looking lacklustre in the field, the Foxes made light work of it.

A full house crowd roared their approval as a succession of attacking shots including plenty of reverse sweeps brought boundaries galore and their runs flowed.

Ackerman reached his fourth half-century in his last five Twenty20 innings of 36 balls with seven fours before being bowled around his legs by Min Patel.

But Maddy, who has not been in the best of form this season, produced a superb knock, reaching his fifty off 41 balls and then clinching victory with three fours in a row off Amjad Khan in the 18th over.

Maddy struck hit 10 fours and a six, leaving the ecstatic home supporters to celebrate reaching finals day for the fourth time at Trent Bridge on August 12.