Cosgrove knock in vain for Foxes

Mark Cosgrove made a superb 74 from 56 balls after Ben Raine took 3-24 but it was not enough to prevent leaders Birmingham Bears from ending the Foxes’ unbeaten NatWest T20 Blast home record.

A fine all-round performance from Rikki Clarke saw the visitors through to an 8-run victory at a sun-drenched, packed Grace Road.

Having hit 44 from 36 balls after the Bears batted first in posting 160-8, the experienced Clarke then produced the most economical figures of the T20 competition so far this season.

The all-rounder bowled his four overs - three of which formed part of the Leicestershire power-play - for just ten runs and picking up the wicket of Foxes’ opener Ned Eckersley (5).

Cosgrove played well in the reply and Raine (17, 16b) and Grant Elliott (23, 24b) also chipped in but some good death bowling saw the Bears home.

Earlier, the Bears won the toss and elected to bat in the sunshine and the Foxes showed two changes as captain Cosgrove and Matthew Boyce came in for the O’Brien brothers.

Raine struck with his first ball, Birmingham captain Varun Chopra (9) going lbw playing across a straight delivery, but the wicket Leicestershire craved came in the following over.

Clint McKay had already discomfited Brendon McCullum with a rising delivery when he pitched one up to the New Zealand skipper. McCullum, who had scored an English T20 record 158 against Derbyshire at Edgbaston on Friday evening, mistimed an attempted drive straight into the hands of compatriot Elliott at mid-off for just 6.

There was no panic from Clarke, however, and in company initially with Tom Lewis and then with Tim Ambrose, the all-rounder steered the Bears towards a competitive score before finally holing out to Tom Wells off the bowling of Ollie Freckingham.

While Clarke posted the highest score of the Bears innings, Lewis was lbw to Raine for 13 (10b), Ambrose was caught by Boyce off Jigar Naik for 34 (28b) and Laurie Evans (6, 10b) was held by Elliott at long-on off Rob Sayer.

One Clarke was gone, Ateeq Javid’s lively 16-ball 28 was ended as McKay (4-0-31-2) knocked back his off-stump and Jeetan Patel was held in the deep by Wells off Raine.

As well as Raine and McKay bowling well, Sayer and Naik each took 1-26 from three overs while Elliott's two overs of medium paced variations went for just five runs.

Clarke’s bowling spell kept the Foxes chase in check early on but Cosgrove, who played well down the ground, posted 50 from 37 balls. The skipper went strongly throughout and his stand of 65 for the third wicket with Elliott looked to have tipped the game in favour of the Foxes.

Leicestershire were 111-2 with five overs to go and the same stage of their innings, Birmingham were 111-5. So the team were in decent shape but Recordo Gordon and Oliver Hannon-Dalby bowled well towards the end of the innings.

Elliott lifted Gordon high to Laurie Evans at deep mid-wicket at the start of the 17th over, and not for the first time this season, Gordon’s well-disguised slower balls ensured the required rate kept rising until 19 were needed off the last over.

Cosgrove struck seven fours and two sixes in his highest score for the Foxes in the format but he was run out at the start of the final over and Hannon-Dalby finished the job for the visitors.

The result leaves the Foxes just outside the qualification places in the north section but there are still three big group games left, starting with the visit of in-form Lancashire Lightning on Friday (5.30pm start).