Chappell backs immediate response from Foxes

Leicestershire Foxes all-rounder Zak Chappell said that the team will keep level-headed ahead of tomorrow afternoon’s Vitality Blast East Midlands derby against Notts Outlaws (2.30pm start).

It has been a contrasting start for the Foxes, who chased a record 219 on Wednesday at Northants Steelbacks but came up short against Durham Jets after the visitors posted 153 for seven.

However, in a tournament spanning 14 games over the next six weeks, Chappell feels it is important to learn from each match and accept that there will be highs and lows, as the last few days has shown.

Chappell said: “I thought we bowled reasonably well to restrict Durham to 150-odd, given that the par score here the last couple of years is higher than that.

 “It’s just a shame that we didn’t back it up with the bat. We know we’re a better batting team than that, as everyone saw in the game at Northants.

“But T20 is a game where it can go either way sometimes, and on this occasion we didn’t perform as well as we wanted to.

“It’s important that we learn from it and make sure we win games of cricket from the position we found ourselves in.”

Chappell picked up a career-best three for 23, completing a hat-trick of personal highs in the different formats in 2018, and looked to have turned the game in the Foxes’ favour alongside Muhammad Abbas (4-0-15-1), who bowled brilliantly at either end of the innings.

Imran Tahir had other ideas, however, and the South Africa international leg-spinner collected four for 14 from a quite outstanding display of slow bowling.

“I thought we bowled well overall. I picked up a couple of wickets and Muhammad Abbas showed his class,” said Chappell.

“We saw in the Test matches against England that he is a world-class performer and he has great white ball skills too, including reverse swing Yorkers. He’s got it all really. 

“We could have played Imran Tahir a little better but credit to him, he is a world-class performer, and they did bowl well collectively.”

Attention now turns to tomorrow’s local match and the team is determined to bounce back in front of what will be another healthy crowd at the Fischer County Ground.

Chappell said “It’s a quick turnaround to Sunday but that’s a good thing when you lose a game. We’ll look to return to winning ways, we know that Notts are a different outfit to Durham. The lads have prepared well and we’ll come out all guns blazing.

“The crowd came out in good number last night, and we were disappointed not to get them the win, but we’ll be going all out to put in a good performance against Notts.”

Leicestershire Foxes has named an unchanged 14-man squad for the game against Notts Outlaws, with Gavin Griffiths, Paul Horton and Rob Sayer in contention alongside the XI that faced the Jets.

The Outlaws had Dan Christian in superb form at Wantage Road last night. The skipper, who batted well when the Foxes won a last-day thriller at Trent Bridge to qualify for the quarter-finals in 2017, made a 37-ball hundred.

Notts has also taken two points from two games with a defeat to Birmingham Bears followed by victory over Northants Steelbacks, and with the weather set fair, it promises to be another cracker between the sides.

Foxes (from 14): Ackermann (capt), Abbas, Chappell, Cosgrove, Delport, Dexter, Griffiths, Hill, Horton, Nabi, Parkinson, Raine, Sayer, Wells.

* The best value tickets for the Outlaws game are available in advance - they cost just £16 for adults, £12 for concessions and £1 for under 16s ahead of the fixture. Secure your seat at the Fischer County Ground before 11.59pm on Saturday HERE