Foxes get off to a perfect start in the one day cup

RLC 1 | Leicestershire Foxes 279 for four v Derbyshire Falcons 275 for seven “ Foxes win by six wickets

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Leicestershire Foxes 2, Derbyshire Falcons 0

REPORT | Dieter Klein recorded his fiftieth career List A wicket and Arron Lilley claimed his first three List A wickets for the Running Foxes, as Rishi Patel recorded his maiden half-century for County.

Lewis Hill and Marcus Harris also recorded half-centuries as the Running Foxes cantered to a comfortable victory at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Leicestershire Foxes named six debutants in the first XI of the 2021 Royal London Cup campaign, with Rishi Patel, George Rhodes, Marcus Harris, Louis Kimber, Nick Welch, and Ed Barnes making their List A bows for the Running Foxes against Derbyshire Falcons “ a high for Leicestershire since their first game in the format.

Only Lewis Hill, Dieter Klein and Ben Mike remain from Leicestershire’s last List A fixture, against Warwickshire in May, 2019.

The news from the middle was that new skipper, Lewis Hill, lost his first toss as County’s captain with Goldeman opting to bat on yet another sun-soaked day in Leicestershire.

It did not take long for the first Falcons wicket to fall, as Wright claimed the first of the competition for the Running Foxes on his return after a successful period of self-isolation.

The Foxes man delivery an away swinger which Came (6, 19b) reached for and nicked behind to Lewis Hill who pouched.

Derbyshire were 10 for one as Guest joined Godleman (4no) in the middle.

The second wicket partnership began to build up a head of steam following a slow start to the innings for Derbyshire, as Godleman (27no) and Guest (11no) brought the first powerplay to an end on 48 for one.

The fifty came up for Falcons in the eleventh over as Godleman cut Barnes into the leg side who conceded his first runs of the day.

The fifty partnership followed an over later, as Guest pulled Mike away for a quick single off his back foot, promptly fielded by Rhodes at deep square leg.

The Falcons skipper then went on to bring up his fifty, coming from 53 balls, including five fours and one six, following a bottom edge off Wright’s delivery into the off-side.

The second wicket partnership had just brought up its one hundredth run, before Arron Lilley intervened.

The Foxes man claimed his maiden List A wicket for the Running Foxes after Guest reverse swept his delivery straight to the hands of Rishi Patel at short fine leg for 40 (65b). The batsman made his way back to the pavilion with the visitors on 116 for two.

Hudson-Prentice emerged to join Godleman (58no) in the middle as we reached the halfway point of the first innings.

The new batsman in the middle only lasted 12 minutes, before making his way back to the pavilion after recording six runs.

Lilley claimed a quick second wicket with the scalp of Hudson-Prentice, after the batsman lofted one straight to the hands of Nick Welch who was on hand at mid-off to comfortably catch.

A brief break in play then followed after Godleman took a Klein delivery to the helmet. After the correct concussion protocols were followed, the Derbyshire skipper was deemed fit to carry on, on 74 not out.

The 200 runs then came up for the visitors, after 41.3 overs, one ball before play came to a halt once again after Hosein this time was struck on the helmet.

Once again, the correct protocols were carried out and the Falcons man was deemed fit to carry on, on 32 not out.

Godleman’s ton came up next, with seven overs remaining in the Derbyshire innings. The one hundred came from 118 balls, including nine fours and one six.

Derbyshire were approaching their second one hundred-run partnership of the day as Godleman and Hosein looked in great touch together.

However, the fourth wicket partnership came to an end on 99 after Hosein skied Lilley’s delivery. Dieter Klein made his way in from point to take the grab and see the batsman off for 38.

Another wicket followed from the next over as Ed Barnes claimed the wicket of former colleague Billy Godleman.

The batsman danced down the track and looked to drive Barnes away, but the Foxes man found the edge of the Falcons skipper and Hill caught him behind for 116 (129b).

Derbyshire were now 233 for five, with four overs remaining and two new batsmen in the middle, in McKiernan and Dal.

McKiernan in particular looked to end the innings with a flurry of runs, posting 20 from 10 deliveries before Barnes claimed his wicket.

The batsman looked for the boundary once again, after recording a six and a four earlier in the over, but lofted the delivery straight to Mike at deep square leg, who took the catch.

Two balls later, and Dieter Klein claimed his first of the game and his fiftieth career List A wicket after clean bowling Dal for 8 (7b). The Germany international seamed a ball away from the batsman and clattered the outside of his off stump.

The duo of Priestley and Marshall then came together for the remaining 10 balls of the day and managed to record 11 further runs to bring the Derbyshire total to an end on 275 for seven.

The opening duo of Nick Welch and Rishi Patel got off to a solid start, with both batsmen finding the boundary on more than one occasion, amassing 34 runs after the first five overs.

The Derbyshire attack finally forged out a chance to break the first wicket partnership, as Welch (29no) top-edged an Aitchison delivery down to long leg but Priestley failed to take the chance, and the 100-run mark was now firmly set in the Running Foxes’ sights.

The partnership came to an end soon, though, and under unsavoury circumstances. Welch drove McKiernan away through the on side and his right knee and ankle seemed to buckle on the follow through causing the batsman a large degree of discomfort.

Welch was helped off the field of play on a stretcher by both Club’s medical staff as well as the emergency services on site.

All of our thoughts are with Nick, and we wish him well in his recovery.

Further, Welch’s wicket did fall after the batsman fell into his stumps on his way day down, as he recorded 32 (43b) as part of the impressive opening partnership for Leicestershire.

Marcus Harris replaced Welch as the incoming batsman to join Patel (49no) in the middle.

The Australian looked to mean business as he hit McKiernan away for his first two boundaries of the game from his first over faced.

The next over saw Rishi Patel record his maiden half-century for the Running Foxes, and his maiden List A half-century after flicking Hudson-Prentice away into the leg side.

The fifty came from 52 balls and included six fours.

Patel’s innings went as far as 70 for the Running Foxes before driving Rampaul into the hands of Hudson-Prentice. The Derbyshire man had to put in a dive to his right to take the catch, as Patel’s impressive innings came to an end.

Lewis Hill emerged to join Harris (22no) in the middle with Leicestershire on 127 for two.

Hill came in and got off to a similarly quick start to that of Harris and soon found himself amongst the boundaries.

Back-to-boundaries for the skipper off the bowling of Marshall in the 26th over saw County approach the 150-run mark.

Four overs later, and Hill’s sixth four of the innings brought up the third wicket partnership’s fiftieth run as he swept Marshall away through the leg side emphatically.

The 36th over then saw the second Foxes’ fifty posted in the innings as Hill recorded his first fifty of the competition. The half-century came from 42 balls and included seven fours.

The next over saw Harris become the third Running Fox to record a half-century in the innings, as he dabbed Dal into the off-side for the required single. The fifty came in 61 balls and included six fours.

Two balls before Harris’ fifty was recorded, the third wicket partnership came to an end after Aitchison’s delivery breached Hill’s defences and clattered his middle and off stumps for 51 (44b).

Rhodes came in to join Harris (49no) in the middle and got off to a solid start, after recording boundaries off Dal and Hudson-Prentice early on in his innings.

Leicestershire lost their fourth wicket in the 45th over, as Harris (75, 85b) drove Aitchison’s delivery straight to the hands of Rampaul at mid on.

Arron Lilley emerged to join Rhodes in the middle with Leicestershire requiring 30 runs from the remaining six overs.

The game then came to a close with a flurry of boundaries from George Rhodes, including a huge six over midwicket off the bowling of Hudson-Prentice.

It was that man Rhodes who brought the game to a close, with his sixth four of the innings after beautifully driving Hudson-Prentice back down the wicket and over the rope.

Leicestershire seemed to have carried over their form and confidence to the Royal London Cup campaign, starting with a comprehensive win over Derbyshire Falcons at the Uptonsteel County Ground by six wickets.

Rhodes (39no, 30b) and Lilley (8no, 7b) guided the Foxes to victory with 21 balls remaining.

FIGURES | Rhodes 10-0-38-0, Klein 10-0-57-1, Wright 8-1-45-1, Mike 4-0-23-0, Barnes 8-0-48-2 Lilley 10-0-49-3

Hudson-Prentice 9.3-1-63-0, Rampaul 10-0-46-1, Aitchison 9-0-51-2, McKiernan 6-0-40-1, Dal 6-0-35-0, Priestley 3-0-19-0, Marshall 3-0-25-0

FOXES | Patel, Rhodes, Harris, Hill (C, wk), Lilley, Kimber, Welch, Mike, Barnes, Klein, Wright

FALCONS | Godleman (C), Came, Guest, Hudson-Prentice, Dal, Hosein (wk), McKiernan, Marshall, Priestley, Aitchson, Rampaul

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

MATCH SPONSOR | We would like to thank Gemini Wealth Management for sponsoring our Royal London Cup fixture against Derbyshire Falcons.