Foxes end Lightning's run
Fri 15 Jul 2016
NatWest T20 Blast Matchday 12: Leicestershire Foxes v Lancashire Lightning
REPORT | Mark Pettini and Cameron Delport were in dazzling form as Leicestershire Foxes picked a vital time to end Lancashire Lightning’s long unbeaten NatWest T20 Blast run at the Fischer County Ground.
Both sides badly needed a win to keep qualification hopes alive and the Foxes achieved it by 9 runs in a high-scoring affair to inflict Lightning’s first defeat on this ground in the format since 2003.
The Foxes innings of 207-3 - their highest ever at the FCG - was based around a fantastic third wicket stand of 140 in just 12.1 overs between Pettini (76, 58b, 5x4, 2x6) and Delport (68, 36b, 2x4, 6x6).
Lightning also piled on the runs with in-form Alviro Petersen making a sensational 103 not out off 52 balls but Clint McKay (4-0-22-0) again showed his class as the Red Rose fell short on 198-4.
Leicestershire made two changes from their last outing, handing a competition bow to Michael Burgess and welcoming Richard Jones into the side for his ‘second debut’ in this format.
The duo came in for Neil Dexter and Tom Wells while there was one adjustment for the Lightning, who brought in Tom Smith for fellow all-rounder Luke Procter.
For the eighth time in ten matches where there has been a toss in this tournament, the Foxes came out on the wrong side of the coin and were invited to bat first on an overcast evening.
The game’s first boundary arrived courtesy of leg byes in the opening over before Cosgrove carved down to third man in Nathan Buck’s first offering, the sheer pace of the ball taking it through the hands of George Edwards.
Pettini then struck a beautiful drive through the covers off the last ball of the 3rd over before Buck’s return in the 5th saw another four as Cosgrove (16, 16b) pulled with authority.
The former Foxes bowler then enticed a false stroke from the left-hander, though, and the ball looped to Jordan Clark at mid-on with the score at 32.
Pettini and Delport combined to good effect, the skipper stepping across his wicket to strike over short fine leg while Delport pulled the first maximum of the match at the end of the powerplay, which came with the score at 46-1.
The sixes kept coming as Pettini pulled Stephen Parry in the eighth over while Delport deposited consecutive maximums in the region of long-on at the end of the next offering from Edwards. Croft introduced himself in the 10th and Pettini skilfully hit inside-out over cover as the score progressed to 92-1 at halfway.
Another couple of fours arrived in the 11th over from Smith as Pettini pulled and Delport drove deliciously back over the bowler’s head to take the score beyond 100.
A delicate lap stroke from Pettini also found the fence as Luis Reece came on before a couple of sixes arrived in Clark’s third over, Delport pulling handsomely into Milligan Road before Pettini cut high over backward point to record his third competition 50 (39 balls, 5x4, 2x6) for the Foxes.
Parry bowled a tight second over before a couple of landmarks were reached in the 15th. The stand passed 100 while Delport lofted for four and then recorded his first Foxes 50 off the 29th ball faced with a single (2x4, 4x6) as the Foxes moved to 141-1.
Runs continued to flow as Pettini struck the slow left arm of Parry for back-to-back sixes over long-on and deep mid-wicket respectively before Delport recorded two more maximums in the 17th, both over long-on. Edwards responded by ending his fine knock as Reece took a catch at mid-off.
Pettini was caught behind by Tom Moores off Clark in the next over but Lewis Hill (15*, 8b) and Farhaan Behardien (13*, 10b) ensured the innings ended well. They played some good strokes - including a six from the ‘keeper off the last ball of the innings - and scampered between the wickets in an unbroken stand of 28 off 15 balls.
Petersen struck a couple of early fours before Jones made a breakthrough in his first over, demolishing the stumps of Reece (2). Karl Brown (18) fell to Rob Sayer’s first delivery, skying to Delport at long-off, before Jones struck for a second time as Liam Livingstone (10) edged through to Hill at the start of the 9th.
Lightning were well behind the rate at the midway point at 69-3 but Petersen and Croft added a timely 66 in 6.2 overs.
Captain Croft lofted Jones over the top to open his boundary account before 17 came from each of the 12th and 13th overs as Lightning pressed hard on the accelerator.
Petersen swept Behardien onto the roof of the Geary Bar and also hit a four over mid-on while three fours arrived in the next offering, including two pulled efforts from Croft and another on-drive from Petersen.
Croft (36, 25b, 3x4, 1x6) smashed Sayer over long-on for six but the spinner held his nerve, having the batsman caught at deep mid-wicket by Taylor with his next ball. Petersen then recorded a half-century with a six off the next ball of the innings over long-off, the landmark taking 32 balls (4x4, 2x6).
Lightning needed 75 off the last five overs, which seemed to be a tall order, but Petersen was not about to give up the fight. He moved from 50 to 100 in just 20 deliveries in dominating an unbeaten stand of 73 for the fifth wicket with Smith, who ended on 9 not out.
A total of 17 runs arrived off the 16th over as the opener pulled a six and drove for four off consecutive balls.
McKay returned with a brilliant set that yielded just three but Petersen kept going, striking three fours and a huge six that clattered into the Milligan Road scoreboard as 19 came off the antepenultimate over.
Lightning needed 36 off 12 balls but McKay was having none of it; although the stand passed 50, his mixture of slower balls proved impossible to get to the boundary.
Only seven came off the over and although Petersen completed a marvellous hundred off the final ball of the innings - his tenth four in a knock that also included four sixes - McKay's excellence had left the Lightning with too much to do.
Leicestershire Foxes now have ten points from twelve games and need to land another victory at Birmingham Bears in their next game on Sunday afternoon (2.30pm start).
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 4-0-22-0, Jones 4-0-37-2, Raine 4-0-49-0, Taylor 4-0-40-0, Sayer 2-0-20-2, Behardien 2-0-23-0.
* Thansk to Ed Melia for the photo of Cameron.
