Foxes lose despite Chappell career-best
Fri 6 Jul 2018
RESULT | Vitality Blast game 2: Leicestershire Foxes 120 lost to Durham Jets 153 for 7 by 33 runs
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Zak Chappell was interviewed at the end of the game
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
POINTS | Leicestershire Foxes 0, Durham Jets 2
REPORT | Leicestershire Foxes lost for the first time in Vitality Blast this season after South Africa star Imran Tahir inspired Durham Jets to a 33-run success at the Fischer County Ground.
The Foxes fielded first with Muhammad Abbas (4-0-15-1) giving an absolute masterclass in bowling at the beginning and end of a T20 innings while the quick Zak Chappell ensured that progress stalled outside the powerplay, claiming a career-best three for 23.
Afghanistan star Mohammad Nabi (4-0-24-1) also excelled with a fine display of off-spin bowling as the Jets was restricted to 153 for 7.
Neil Dexter top-scored with 35 (32b) for the Foxes but Tahir, who bowled a testing mixture of spinning leg-breaks and googlies, picked up four for 14 as the team was bowled out for 120.
The Foxes was unchanged and Colin Ackermann won the coin toss for the second time in succession.
Openers Graham Clark and Tom Latham were kept in check by Abbas and Ben Raine, and the partnership was ended at 19 in the fourth over. Raine enticed Clark (12, 15b) to drill to mid-wicket, where Tom Wells took the catch.
Former England star Paul Collingwood hit his very first delivery for a straight maximum that nearly went through the window of a radio box, and Latham further upped the tempo with three consecutive shots that went for two fours and a six in the final powerplay over.
But the Foxes kept chipping away, and Chappell picked up a trio of wickets in a brilliant spell of fast bowling as Latham (27, 17b) slashed to Cameron Delport at backward point, and Ryan Pringle (8, 7b) and Will Smith (0, 4b) were bowled.
The Jets had not taken off by the halfway stage at 72 for four before Davies gave the score a boost by lofting a couple of maximums over long-on.
Davies (22, 14b) then perished looking to repeat the feat, dragging the ball to deep mid-wicket where Wells pouched the chance to give Nabi his first Foxes wicket.
Nabi completed a parsimonious spell before key man Collingwood departed for 36 (33), Lewis Hill throwing down the stumps after the batsmen had contemplated a single.
Abbas yorked James Weighell (0, 1) with his next ball before Nathan Rimmington survived a leg before appeal to prevent it being three wickets in as many deliveries.
Although Abbas was near impossible to get away, Stuart Poynter (29*, 20b) and Rimmington (14*, 9b) played useful knocks to propel the Jets above 150.
Dexter and Delport made steady progress in the powerplay, progressing the score to 33 without loss, and the right-hander then steered a delightful late cut to the fence in the seventh over.
The introduction of Tahir paid immediate dividends. The leg-spinner struck with his first ball as the bowler held the sharpest of return catches to dismiss Delport (17, 24b).
An equally good piece of work in the field from Rimmington at backward point then saw Mark Cosgrove run out for 8 (5b).
Captain Ackermann immediately looked in great touch, lofting Pringle for a straight six into the green seats at the Bennett End before sweeping the next ball for a further maximum.
That put the Foxes in decent shape at 70 for two at the halfway mark, and another good over saw 11 taken as Dexter and Ackermann each collected well-timed boundaries.
But Tahir changed the complexion with two key breakthroughs, Dexter stumped off a leg-spinner while Ackermann (19, 8b) saw his stumps hit by a googly. When Raine (2, 5b) was caught at deep extra cover off Collingwood, the Foxes was 86 for 5 in the 13th over.
The tricks of Tahir were pitted against the classy Nabi, and the contest was a fascinating one, with four runs coming from the 14th over. A cover drive from Hill raced for four in the next offering and the Foxes needed 54 off the last five overs.
Tahir completed his superb spell by taking the key wicket of Nabi (7, 10b), held by Weighell just inside the boundary at long-on.
Batsmen now had to try to hit out and the final four wickets were caught. Hill (10, 12b) drove Rimmington to mid-off while Wells (6, 7b) was caught at long-on off Weighell.
Chappell (7, 4b), who propelled a superb straight maximum, lofted Weighell to the edge of the ring where Latham took a good catch running around from cover, and Callum Parkinson (0, 1b) drilled Rimmington to long-on.
It means that the Foxes has two points from their opening two games with Notts Outlaws the next visitors to the FCG on Sunday.
TEAM | Dexter, Delport, Ackermann (capt), Cosgrove, Hill (wk), Nabi, Wells, Raine, Chappell, Parkinson, Abbas
FIGURES | Abbas 4-0-15-1, Raine 4-0-42-1, Chappell 4-0-23-3, Parkinson 3-0-32-0, Nabi 4-0-24-1, Dexter 1-0-14-0
PHOTO | Thanks to Ed Melia for the photo of Zak Chappell bowling today
* Our next Vitality Blast home game is against Notts Outlaws on Sunday afternoon! The best value tickets are available in advance - they cost just £16 for adults, £12 for concessions and £1 for under 16s in advance of the fixture. Secure your seat at the Fischer County Ground today HERE
