Foxes lose high-scoring game to Rapids
Sun 30 Apr 2017
Royal London One-Day Cup Matchday 2: Leicestershire Foxes v Worcestershire Rapids
RESULT | Worcestershire Rapids (two points) beat Leicestershire Foxes by 42 runs
REACTION | Aadil Ali spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae, the interview is available to download HERE
REPORT | Aadil Ali scored a List A career-best 88 off 79 balls but Leicestershire Foxes’ brave pursuit of 362 against Worcestershire Rapids ultimately came up short at the Fischer County Ground.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali shone with 90 and there were plenty of other contributions as the Rapids posted 361-8 - their highest List A score against another county - Gavin Griffiths being the pick of the Foxes attack with figures of 1-49 off his ten overs.
Ali was the last man out as the Foxes were dismissed for 319 in the 48th over, meaning that a game played on a terrific wicket with a lightning fast outfield went the way of the Rapids by a 42-run margin.
Despite the result, there were plenty of positives for the Foxes, not least the performances of Ali, Mark Cosgrove (67, 45b) and Griffiths in another entertaining Royal London One-Day Cup match that produced 680 runs in front of a healthy crowd at the Fischer County Ground.
County were without six players with white ball skipper Clint McKay, Ben Raine, Richard Jones, Colin Ackermann, James Burke and Neil Dexter all ruled out through injury. Aadil came into the side for Dexter in the only change from the victory at Lancashire Lightning.
Captain Ned Eckersley won the toss and elected to field first with England international Moeen opening alongside Tom Kohler-Cadmore.
The duo started with intent, moving to 23 without loss after three overs, and that prompted Eckersley to give Rob Sayer’s off-spin an early airing from the Pavilion End. Moeen was prepared to take him on, striking the first three balls for four, but the second was slightly fortunate to avoid a diving Griffiths at mid-on.
Griffiths and Zak Chappell changed ends and the latter initiated a much-needed breakthrough. Moeen dropped one at his feet and set off, Chappell was quick to follow through and a smart left-footed effort clattered into the stumps with Kohler-Cadmore (16) short of his ground.
Rapids progressed to 69-1 by the end of the powerplay and the first maximum arrived at the end of the 12th over, Tom Fell lofting James Sykes (8-0-54-2) just over the head of the fielder at long-on. Fell also used his feet to drive Sykes over extra to record the 100 in the 16th over.
Moeen hit a four and six off consecutive deliveries from Tom Wells to move to 50 from 47 balls (7x4, 1x6) in the next offering and Cameron Delport’s first over also went for double figures as the Rapids put their foot on the gas.
Progress was checked by Sayer, who had Fell (39) smartly stumped by Lewis Hill, before the Pears moved to 162-2 at halfway with Moeen on a measured 76.
The left-hander struck a brace of boundaries in the 27th over, striking over extra cover and sweeping behind square, before Joe Clarke (42) struck a quartet of fours in the 30th over as the score passed 200.
Disaster struck for the visitors at the start of the next over, though, as Moeen sent Clarke back and the non-striker was beaten by a super throw by Delport to end a stand worth 87 in 15 overs. Moeen then departed ten short on his hundred, the all-rounder nicking the returning Chappell through to Hill to leave the visitors at 209-4 in the 32nd.
The Foxes now had two new batsmen to bowl at but Brett D’Oliveira and Ben Cox settled quickly to share another stand of substance. The ‘keeper struck three consecutive boundaries in the 38th over and the Rapids moved to 261-4 with ten to go, a position they took full advantage of by adding a further 100 runs.
Cox continued to be innovative, including a cheeky reverse lap that went straight over Hill’s head, while D’Oliveira hit four boundaries in a useful knock of 33 off 30 balls. Sykes then picked up two key wickets in as many deliveries as Cox holed out to Aadil at long-off before Cox (44, 37b) was bowled on the sweep.
Griffiths followed up by dismissing the dangerous Leach (1), who skied to Cosgrove at cover, meaning the Foxes had picked up three wickets for three runs.
Hastings (28*, 15b), Whiteley (21, 17b) and Barnard (25*, 10b) propelled the score by scoring 68 in the final five overs - including 20 off the last - but the left-handed Whiteley was dismissed in the process, caught by Cosgrove at point off Sayer.
Foxes openers Delport and Pettini got the innings off to a good start by sharing 30 but the former fell after striking Leach for a four and straight six in the fourth over, stumped following a quick piece of thinking by Cox. The ‘keeper had a shy standing back and Delport (18, 14b) was out of his ground.
The wicket did not halt progress as Pettini continued to look in fine form, including a classically driven four through mid-on, while Cosgrove sent an early boundary crashing through the off-side as he started well.
The left-hander sent two fours flying down the ground in the tenth over as the Foxes progressed to 81-1 off the powerplay but there was a blow in the 11th overwhen Pettini (36, 34b) nicked Leach to Cox. Eckersley then collected a brace of early boundaries through the covers and Cosgrove smoked a straight six as the Foxes 100 was recorded inside 12 overs.
Cosgrove also launched Moeen over mid-wicket as he tried to get after the off-spinner but a third wicket was claimed as Eckersley (14, 16b) chipped Jack Shantry to Ed Barnard at deep extra cover.
There was a second consecutive competition for 50 for Cosgrove as he dabbed the 33rd delivery of the innings for a seventh four down to third man, the landmark also containing a maximum.
Unfortunately Cosgrove then departed for 67 (45b, 9x4, 1x6), Shantry taking a fine one-handed return catch to leave the Foxes at 150-4 in the 20th over.
The required rate was not an issue but the Foxes could ill-afford to lose any further wickets. But a fifth was claimed before the halfway point of the innings as Hill’s bright 27 off 24 balls, which included three fours, came to an end when edging Hastings to Kohler-Cadmore at slip.
Aadil, who had already clouted D’Oliveira for six over mid-on, formed a stand with Wells that yielded 80 in 14.3 overs. The all-rounder swept Moeen for four before collecting a maximum of his own that recorded the 200 in the 29th over.
The chase was down to 157 off the last 20 overs and the young batsmen continued to go well. Aadil hit another six over mid-on - this time off Moeen - before hitting Leach for a trio of fours, the second of which recorded a 50-ball half-century (3x4, 2x6).
An enterprising alliance was ended when Wells (34, 42b) skied Leach to Kohler-Cadmore at long-on at the end of the 38th over. The Foxes still required 105 from 12 overs at that stage and in came Sayer, batting with a runner.
The off-spinner hit a trio of fours in a lively knock of 25 off 23 balls as he added 46 with Ali. But Sayer perished in the 45th over, caught at long-off by Kohler-Cadmore off Shantry, and the target was 58 off 30 balls by the time the left arm seamer ended his afternoon's work with useful figures of 3-64.
Wickets continued to fall as Chappell (1) was run out in the next over and Sykes (2) departed in the 47th, striking a Leach delivery well but picking out Whiteley at deep backward square-leg as the all-rounder finished with 4-66.
Aadil smashed another maximum over mid-on before being selflessly run out in looking to regain the strike, meaning the Foxes have one win and one defeat from their opening two games ahead of the visit of Warwickshire on Tuesday, a game where under 16s can again come into the ground for free.
TEAM | Pettini, Delport, Cosgrove, Eckersley (capt), Hill (wk), Aadil, Wells, Chappell, Sayer, Sykes, Griffiths.
Bowling figures for Foxes: Chappell 9-0-61-1, Griffiths 10-0-49-1, Sayer 8-0-65-2, Sykes 8-0-54-2, Wells 10-0-83-0, Delport 5-0-42-0.
