Amazing Ackermann leads Foxes to highest ever chase

RESULT | Vitality Blast game 1: Leicestershire Foxes 219 for 6 beat Northants Steelbacks 218 for 3 by 4 wickets

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo

REACTION | Colin Ackermann spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Rob Jones after the game

HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season

POINTS | Northants Steelbacks 0, Leicestershire Foxes 2

REPORT | Captain Colin Ackermann struck an amazing unbeaten 66 off 31 balls as Leicestershire Foxes recorded their highest ever T20 chase to get the Vitality Blast campaign off to an absolute flyer at Wantage Road.

Northants Steelbacks put 218 for three on the board as Ben Duckett posted a superb 96 (54b, 12x4, 3x6) in sharing 111 in 9.1 overs for the second wicket with Josh Cobb and 92 in eight overs for the third with captain Alex Wakely.

Muhammad Abbas (4-0-31-1) and Callum Parkinson (3-0-25-1) were the most economical bowlers for the Foxes, who was then sensational with the bat.

Ackermann led the way, striking five fours and four sixes - including the maximum that won the game with two balls to spare - and there were plenty of other contributions as the team scored a staggering 121 runs off the final 7.4 overs to land the team's third win on this ground in 2018.

The Foxes, who handed Vitality Blast debuts to overseas duo Nabi and Abbas, was in the field first after Ackermann won the toss. Abbas conceded only one run in an exemplary opening over before bowling the dangerous Richard Levi (6, 9b) in his next offering.

Scoring was tough in the early exchanges but Duckett struck two powerful fours in the arc between extra cover and mid-off before playing a lap-sweep for six as 16 runs came off the fourth.

The left-hander then sent a quartet of reverse-sweeps to the ropes and also twice hit through extra as his 50 came up off just 22 balls (10x4, 1x6) at the end of the seventh over.

Cobb hit four maximums in the vicinity of long-on as Northants progressed to 114 for 1 at halfway, and the batsman then progressed to a half-century from 28 balls (3x4, 4x6).

Spinner Parkinson, who picked up a timely wicket when Cobb (56, 33b, 4x4, 4x6) holed out to Zak Chappell at long-on in the 12th over, stemmed the flow alongside Chappell between overs 10 and 13.

But Duckett then had another burst of scoring, including an improvised flick that went for six over the head of ‘keeper Lewis Hill. The home skipper also put bat to ball, striking five fours and three sixes in scoring 51 not out off 24 balls, while Duckett was caught by Neil Dexter at long-on off Raine in the last over four shy of his century.

In a lively start to the chase, Dexter struck seven boundaries and a six over mid-wicket in a lively 38 (21b) before being run out by Seekkuge Prasanna from the last ball of the powerplay, at which point the Foxes was 55 for 1 with Cameron Delport 16 not out.

Consecutive shots over mid-on yielded four and six for Mark Cosgrove while Delport also picked up a boundary in that region as 18 runs were scored in the ninth over.

The Foxes moved to 91 for 1 after 10 but lost two wickets in the space of three deliveries as Delport (29, 28b) struck Cobb’s off-spin to Duckett at long-on before the bowler gathered an Ackermann straight drive to run out Cosgrove (21, 13b).

A delicate paddle brought Ackermann his first four, and he and Nabi then took 19 off each of the 14th and 15th overs to keep the Foxes in the hunt.

The skipper struck Prasanna for two fours and a mighty maximum that landed on the canopy roof of the hamburger outlet next to the former signal box, and Ackermann then clattered Nathan Buck for a straight six before Nabi played three successive fours down to third man, fine-leg and backward square-leg.

Leicestershire Foxes was 145 for 3 at that point, therefore requiring 74 off 30 balls. A sensational drive for six over extra then took Ackermann to a quickfire 50 (24b, 4x4, 3x6) at the start of the 17^th over bowled by Ben Sanderson.

Although Nabi (19, 13b) was well caught by Graeme White at deep mid-wicket to end a 71-run alliance that was recorded in just 6.1 overs, Raine smashed his first ball for six as part of a brilliant seven-ball cameo that yielded 23 (2x4, 2x6).

He too fell to the White-Sanderson combination before six penalty runs were awarded for a slow over rate to take the target to 20 off 10 balls.

With 14 required off the last over, a leg-side delivery went for five wides, and Tom Wells (5, 6b) picked up a two before being bowled by Kleinveldt. Hill (1*, 1b) took a single before Ackermann sent the ball sailing high over long-on to record a famous win.

TEAM | Dexter, Delport, Ackermann (capt), Cosgrove, Hill (wk), Nabi, Wells, Raine, Chappell, Parkinson, Abbas

FIGURES | Abbas 4-0-31-1, Raine 4-0-48-1, Parkinson 3-0-25-1, Nabi 4-0-44-0, Chappell 4-0-42-0, Delport 1-0-23-0

PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Colin Ackermann batting today

*  Don't miss any of the action! Our first Vitality Blast home game is against Durham Jets on Friday night. The best value tickets are available in advance - they cost just £10 for adults, £7.50 for concessions and £5 for under 16s when brought before 11.59pm on Thursday. Secure your seat at the Fischer County Ground today HERE