Foxes ready for pink ball challenge

There may be a change in format for Leicestershire CCC’s next Specsavers County Championship challenge at Derbyshire CCC but Head Coach Paul Nixon doesn’t want the approach to differ.

An encouraging start to the campaign has seen two wins, two draws and two close defeats, with both losses coming after the team dominated for long periods of the games against Durham CCC and Middlesex CCC.

Yesterday’s one-wicket setback against Middlesex CCC was a tough one to take but the Foxes immediately have a chance to bounce back in the one-off floodlit pink ball fixture of 2018 at the 3aaa County Ground tomorrow (1.30pm start).

“We have been playing some good cricket and everyone was hurting badly after the Middlesex game, but we gave it our all,” said Nixon.

“It is small margins in this great game of ours, we can take great heart and pride from the performance, and now have the chance to put it to the back of our minds and move on quickly.

“Naturally it will be a different type of game at Derbyshire with a pink ball and a change of timings but we have adjusted our preparation and are ready.

“We had a great pink ball focussed practice session under the lights at the Fischer County Ground last Sunday and that will help a great deal.

“Fundamentally nothing changes; we’ll be looking to win a game of four-day cricket by taking it a ball at a time, session-by-session, day-by-day. The process doesn’t change in that respect.”

Leicestershire CCC Captain Paul Horton echoed Nixon’s sentiments in reflecting on the Middlesex CCC setback.

He said: "We're disappointed not to win a game of cricket we dominated throughout, but credit to the opposition who played really well on the final day.

"We had our chances to win the game - over the four days we put down eight chances, and if we'd held them we'd have won.

"Gavin Griffiths was unlucky, he hit the stumps [of Hilton Cartwright] and the bails didn't come off, but it happens sometimes - though maybe if it happens it's not your day.

"We've now lost two games we probably should have won, up at Durham and now against Middlesex, but we're playing a lot of good positive first-class cricket and have come a long way in a short space of time.

“The fact we're disappointed about getting beat by the champions of two years ago shows we're moving in the right direction. We’re looking forward to the challenge of the day-night game at Derby.”

If the game is anything like last year’s pink ball fixture involving the Foxes, then the crowd is in for a treat. The team almost recorded their highest ever Specsavers County Championship chase at Northamptonshire CCC - 394 - before ultimately losing by an agonising two-run margin as Colin Ackermann made a brilliant century.

Ackermann has been in phenomenal form for the Foxes in 2018, scoring 599 runs at an average of 74.87, including scores of 196* and 186 that both came from 350-ball stays at the wicket.

Ben Raine and Griffiths have led the way in terms of wickets, taking 29 and 25 at the superb respective averages of 21.86 and 20.88.

There is one change to the 13-man squad for the trip to 3aaa County Ground with all-rounder Zak Chappell ruled out with a shoulder injury alongside Ned Eckersley (finger), Dieter Klein (side), Tom Taylor (ankle) and Rob Sayer (hamstring).

Harry Swindells comes into the Specsavers County Championship squad for the first time, while Richard Jones and Ateeq Javid are also in contention alongside the other ten members of the side that were edged out by Middlesex CCC.

Leicestershire CCC (from 13): Horton (capt), Abbas, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dearden, Dexter, Griffiths, Hill, Javid, Jones, Parkinson, Raine, Swindells.

* Tickets for our first Vitality Blast home game against Durham Jets on Friday, July 6 cost just £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s in advance of the fixture. Secure your seat at the Fischer County Ground today HERE