Clinical Foxes land convincing win

Leicestershire Foxes made it consecutive wins in the NatWest T20 Blast North Division with a clinical performance against Durham Jets.

The Foxes restricted the Jets to 123-5 as Rob Taylor (4-0-15-1), Jigar Naik (4-0-19-1) and Kevin O’Brien (3-0-20-2), Ben Raine (4-0-21-1) and Clint McKay (4-0-29-0) all kept a lid on the run rate.

Leicestershire then powered home by eight wickets with 27 balls to spare thanks in large to an unbroken third-wicket stand of 78 between Kevin O’Brien (48* off 34 balls) and Grant Elliott (34* off 23).

County made one change to the team that beat Derbyshire Falcons as Neil Pinner came into the side in place of Atif Sheikh. The Jets also made one switch as Paul Coughlin was brought in for the injured Chris Rushworth.

Durham skipper Mark Stoneman’s decision to bat first after winning the toss looked like it might pay off when the first over yielded 15 runs.

But the Foxes quickly got on top of the batsmen and in the third over Stoneman, looking to pull a short delivery from Taylor, bottom edged the ball into his stumps.

Calum MacLeod was becoming increasingly frustrated when he stepped across his stumps and attempted to scoop a Kevin O’Brien delivery over the wicket-keeper’s head, and succeeded only in edging a simple catch to Ned Eckersley at point.

Phil Mustard pulled and square drove boundaries off Kevin O’Brien in the 11^th over, but in the 12^th Paul Collingwood tried to lift the off-spin of Naik over long off, and was well held by Elliott.

Mustard survived a fierce chance on 41 but the left-hander added only four more runs to his score when he was held by Taylor at long off from the bowling of Kevin O’Brien.

John Hastings did his best to increase the scoring rate, hitting three beautifully timed boundaries in going to 21 off 13 balls, and together with Gordon Muchall (31 off 27 balls), added 37 for the sixth wicket.

A target of just over six an over always looked likely to be inadequate, however, and though Hastings bowled well at Cosgrove when Leicestershire began their innings, Coughlin was lofted high over long-on and into the player’s car park by the Australian left-hander.

The skipper got the innings off to the start that was desired before Coughlin got his revenge, catching Cosgrove (29 off 23 balls) at deep extra cover off Usman Arshad. Scott Borthwick pinned Eckersley (8) leg before wicket so that after ten overs the Foxes were only just ahead of the required rate.

But both Kevin O'Brien and Elliott batsmen played beautifully from that point, with one particular four over extra from the Kiwi international showing his class.

Leicestershire cantered home in the end; the 12^th over of the innings from Borthwick went for 20 as Elliott and Kevin O’Brien each hit a maximum, and off-spinner Ryan Pringle received similar treatment, going for 19 as O’Brien struck two consecutive sixes in the 15^th over.

 “I think we bowled pretty well and then the batsmen took us home,” said Cosgrove. “It’s good to back up on beating Derbyshire in our last match, and hopefully we can take the form into our game at Worcester on Friday night.”

The Foxes travel to Worcestershire Rapids and Nottinghamshire Outlaws in the next two games before a home match on Friday, June 12 against local rivals Northamptonshire Steelbacks. Thanks for your support this evening – it would be great to see you here again on the 12^th.