Durham Cricket | T20 Blast Match Preview - 07/06/2024

It’s double-header day at Uptonsteel County Ground on Friday, as The Blaze bring the heat against Western Storm in the Charlotte Edwards Cup (1pm start) before Leicestershire seek a fourth T20 win in a row against Durham.

Leicestershire are looking to add to their winning start on home soil last time out, as Peter Handscomb’s side thrashed Yorkshire Vikings by seven wickets in front of the Foxes faithful.

Durham have had a week to remedy their inauspicious start, suffering two heavy defeats to Lancashire Lightning and Birmingham Bears after being bowled out for 75 and 101 respectively.

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FAMOUS FIXTURE:

The last T20 meeting between the two sides is one that will live long in the memory thanks to Rishi Patel’s swashbuckling century.

Carrying over his imperious red-ball form to the Blast, Patel crunched a 45-ball hundred “ smashing Nathan Sowter for six into the Family Stand to become the eight Foxes centurion in T20 cricket.

It helped Leicestershire chase 173, with Lewis Hill’s 54 not out in a stand of 149 with Patel setting a new Club record for the second wicket in T20s.

DECISIVE DUEL:

Friday’s fixture will see the return of some familiar faces to Uptonsteel County Ground. After seven seasons as a Fox, Colin Ackermann will head to the away changing rooms for the first time.

During that time, he topped the Club’s T20 run charts with 1,982 at 26.42, while his handy off-spin brought 49 victims at 26.28. A calculated chaser, Ackermann could be at his most threatening if Durham bat second.

Leicestershire’s new T20 leader, Peter Handscomb, is an equally cool head “ whatever the situation. The Australian international is averaging 43.8 from his opening seven innings as a Fox, with his unbeaten 75 at Edgbaston on Saturday perfect evidence of his T20 prowess.

The 33-year-old has 1,971 runs at an average of 23.74 in the format, headlined by a match-winning for the Melbourne Stars against champions-elect Perth Scorchers in the 2014/15 Big Bash.

SQUAD:

The Foxes name an unchanged 14-strong squad for the visit of Durham.

Leicestershire Foxes: Ahmed, Budinger, Cox+, Currie, Goldsworthy, Handscomb*, Holland, Hull, Kimber, Mike, Mulder, Patel, Swindells, Walker.

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