Foxes fall to second successive defeat

BLAST 10 | Leicestershire Foxes 138 v Northamptonshire Steelbacks 141 for five “ Steelbacks win by five wickets

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Leicestershire Foxes 0, Northamptonshire Steelbacks 2

REPORT | Leicestershire were back at the Uptonsteel County Ground as they looked to get back to winnings ways against Northamptonshire Steelbacks, with both teams fighting to save their respective Vitality Blast campaigns.

The news from the middle at the Uptonsteel County Ground was that the Running Foxes won the toss and opted to bat, as they had done for their three victories so far this campaign.

There was one change to the Leicestershire side as Harry Swindells came in for Louis Kimber who missed out under COVID-19 protocol.

The Foxes got off to a slow start with Nabi restricting the opening duo of Steel and Inglis to just one off the first over. The next over saw Inglis post the first maximum of the evening, followed by a lovely cover drive for four.

The third over brought the first Running Foxes wicket of the innings as Inglis lofted a White delivery to the hands of Keogh at deep midwicket and was dismissed for 12 (9b).

The next over brought the second and third Foxes wickets, as Lilley was also caught by Keogh, this time off the bowling of Cobb for 5 (3b), and Ackermann 3 (2b) was caught and bowled.

The Running Foxes’ powerplay came to an end with an over of 11, thanks to Steel’s first two boundaries of the clash, with the Foxes sitting on 38 for three.

The fifty was brought up in the eighth over as Steel edged Nabi away for a quick single.

The halfway point was reached in the Foxes’ over with Leicestershire on 58 for three, with the crease occupied by Steel (22no) and Hill (12no).

Hill only lasted one further ball though, as he drove Heldreich straight to Taylor at long off who took the catch.

Hill (13, 16b) was replaced by Swindells, who emerged for his first appearance of the Vitality Blast campaign.

Swindells exploded into life as he posted three successive maximums off Parnell, as he drove him back over his head first, followed by a lovely ramp and uppercut as the Running Foxes claimed 21 off the over.

The Foxes man’s wicket was soon up though, as he went for a big swing out of his crease, miss-timed his shot and left Vasconcelos plenty of time for the stumping. Swindells went for 32(16b) as Patel replaced him.

Patel’s stay lasted three deliveries, before he lofted Heldreich’s delivery to White at long on who took the catch.

Mike replaced Patel and posted his first four of the evening off Nabi, from his third ball. The bowler responded with the very next ball as Mike top edged one out to Parnell at short third man for 5(4b).

The next over brought the wicket of Steel (44, 56b) as Taylor clean bowled the Foxes opener.

The Foxes entered the final over on their ninth wicket partnership, with Parkinson (4no) and Griffiths (1no) in the middle.

Parkinson recorded his first boundary of the evening, from the first ball of the final over, as he ramped Parnell over Vasconcelos for four.

Parnell responded with the wicket of Parkinson (8, 6b) from the next ball, as the Foxes man top-edged his delivery high into the sky and was caught by Glover, coming in from extra cover.

Naveen came in as the last batsman in the line-up and immediately got off the mark, as he pulled Parnell away for sixth Foxes’ maximum of the evening.

Parnell extracted revenge from the very next ball, again, as he drove one straight to the hands of Cobb at mid-off for 6(2b).

The Foxes’ innings came to an end on 138 with one ball of the innings remaining.

Steel opened the bowling for the Running Foxes as Vasconcelos and Curran opened the batting for the visitors.

The visitors began accelerating the run rate with overs of 16 and 11 from the third and fourth with Steelbacks sitting on 37 without loss with four gone.

Naveen came into the attack for the first time in the fifth over and struck immediately, as Curran (7, 8b) top-edged one to cover where Hill was on hand to take the simple catch.

Naveen then claimed his second wicket with his second ball of the day as he found the edge of Vasconcelos (30, 18b), as Josh Inglis took the catch superbly out-stretched, diving to his right.

The hat-trick was not to be, though, as Keogh defended the delivery well, and Naveen claimed two wickets and conceded just two runs from the fifth over.

Parkinson came back into the attack and brought the visitors’ powerplay to an end with an over of five, as Steelbacks were 44 for two after six.

Steel then came back in for his second over of the evening and claimed the big wicket of Cobb for 28 off 19 balls. The Northamptonshire man lofted Steel’s delivery to Hill who was running in from long on to take his second catch of the innings.

Griffiths followed Steel’s second over with his first of the evening, restricting Keogh and Nabi to just four off it.

Steel came back on immediately after Griffiths and claimed his second wicket of the innings, as Nabi went for 8(6b). The Afghani edged Steel’s delivery down to backward point where Patel was on hand to take the grab with ease.

Steel then bowled his final over in the fifteenth, restricting Keogh and Parnell to five off it to finish with figures of 4-0-17-2.

Parkinson then brought his four to an end, and claimed the wicket of Parnell(5, 10b) in doing so as Inglis caught the batsman’s nick behind. The Foxes man ended with figures of 4-0-33-1.

Successive overs of double figures for the visitors meant that they headed into the penultimate over requiring just two runs for the win.

A four from Naveen’s second delivery of the penultimate over saw the Steelbacks to victory, with Keogh (34no, 38b) and Zaib (21no, 11b) seeing them through with ten balls to spare.

FIGURES | Nabi 4-0-18-1, Taylor 2-0-16-1, White 4-0-24-2, Cobb 2-0-19-2, Zaib 1-0-7-0, Heldreich 4-0-17-2, Parnell 2.5-0-36-2

Steel 4-0-17-2, Ackermann 4-0-37-0, Parkinson 4-0-33-1, Naveen 3.2-0-27-2, Griffiths 1-0-4-0, Lilley 2-0-17-0

FOXES | Ackermann (C), Griffiths, Hill, Inglis (wk), Lilley, Mike, Naveen, Patel, Parkinson, Steel, Swindells

STEELBACKS | Vasconcelos (wk), Curran, Cobb (C), Keogh, Parnell, Nabi, Zaib, Taylor, White, Glover, Heldreich

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for supplying images throughout the game.

MATCH SPONSOR | We would like to thank Begbies Traynor for sponsoring our Vitality Blast fixture against Northamptonshire Steelbacks.