Chappell shines but Foxes beaten

Zak Chappell made a highly encouraging List A debut but Leicestershire Foxes suffered an eight-wicket defeat in the penultimate Royal London One Day Cup game at Worcestershire.

The Foxes were in all kinds of trouble at 96-8 before Clint McKay (42 not out) and Chappell (31) shared 74 for the ninth wicket to put a score of 172 on the board.

The youngster then claimed the key wicket of Daryl Mitchell (22) in returning figures of 1-28 off seven overs at New Road but it wasn’t enough to deny the Pears, who got home with 18 overs to spare.

Four of Worcestershire’s younger players made significant contributions to the win. Batsmen Tom Fell (60 not out), Joe Clarke (51 not out) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (31) batted nicely after debutant Alex Hepburn had snared 4-34.

Leicestershire Foxes made three changes to the side that played the last Royal London One Day match against Durham on August 6. McKay, Chappell and Rob Sayer came in for Mark Cosgrove, Liam Hurt and Ollie Freckingham.

Ned Eckersley won the toss and elected to bat but the team had a tricky start and slipped to 40-3 after nine overs. Niall O’Brien (7) gave a chance to Mitchell at slip off Ed Barnard, Angus Robson (11) drove Ross Whiteley to Kohler-Cadmore at cover and Aadil Ali (9) was bowled by a good length ball from Barnard.

The 19-year-old Hepburn got his chance after scoring four centuries in second team games this season but it was his medium-paced bowling that made the biggest impression after he came on as first change seamer.

Hepburn claimed a first success with his eighth delivery for Worcestershire as Lewis Hill (17) drove to Chris Russell at mid-on and his next contribution was to remove Eckersley (4) courtesy of a catch by Kohler-Cadmore at short mid-wicket.

Saeed Ajmal was effective in tandem with Hepburn and his return of 3-33 would have been marginally better but for the combative McKay driving his last delivery for six.

The Australian, dropped at slip off Ajmal when he had made one, kept Worcestershire in the field as part of an encouraging stand.

McKay struck a four and two maximums in 57 deliveries while Chappell hit three fours in his 58-ball stay before Hepburn returned to good effect for Worcestershire, bowling Chappell and Atif Sheikh with consecutive balls.

Worcestershire were up and running with Kohler-Cadmore outscoring captain Mitchell until he was bowled by Rob Taylor for 31 out of 56.

Mitchell (22) was leg before to Chappell in the 15^th over but there was never a sign of a slip-up after that. Fell made an attractive 60 not out with nine fours from 66 balls and Clarke reached an unbeaten 51 from 50 deliveries after hitting three fours and two sixes.

For Clarke, another 19-year-old in the Rapids ranks, it was a third consecutive score of 50 or more in the competition after making 54 against Surrey and 131 not out against Gloucestershire.

Foxes bowling figures: Sheikh 4-1-9-0, McKay 6-0-47-0, Sayer 6-0-49-0, Chappell 7-1-28-1, Taylor 5-0-18-1, Agathangelou 4-0-20-0.

The Foxes play their final Royal London One Day Cup of the season against Somerset at Grace Road tomorrow (10.30am start). Wayne White has been added to the squad that travelled to New Road, so is in line for his 'second debut'.

Foxes (from): Eckersley (capt), Agathangelou, Ali, Chappell, Hill, McKay, O’Brien (w/k), Redfern, Robson, Sayer, Sheikh, Taylor, White.