Foxes remain in RLODC contention
Sun 14 May 2017
Royal London One-Day Cup Matchday 7: Leicestershire Foxes v Derbyshire Falcons
RESULT | Leicestershire Foxes (2 points) beat Derbyshire Falcons by 5 wickets
REACTION | Ned Eckersley spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at the end of the game, the interview is available HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire Foxes kept their Royal London One-Day Cup qualification hopes alive while ending Derbyshire Falcons' chances following a comfortable five-wicket win at the Fischer County Ground.
Excellent work from Dieter Klein and Gavin Griffiths, who each took three wickets, and fellow seamer Clint McKay, who bowled well for a third game in succession, saw the Falcons restricted to 217 despite a List A career best from Alex Hughes (96 not out).
Opener Cameron Delport got the Foxes off to a flyer with 53 off 62 balls while Ned Eckersley (80, 81b) and Lewis Hill (68*, 66b) also posted half-centuries as part of a fifth wicket stand that yielded 116.
The result means that Leicestershire Foxes sit in fifth place, a point behind third-placed Notts Outlaws. Given the qualification criteria, the Foxes will need to win their final group game at Yorkshire Vikings and hope that the Outlaws and Durham Jets do not emerge victorious in their last fixture.
Leicestershire made two changes from the Northants abandonment as Rob Sayer and Griffiths came in for James Sykes and Zak Chappell. Derbyshire were unchanged from the side that lost narrowly against Lancashire at Blackpool on Friday.
McKay won the toss and elected to bowl and the seamers got the Foxes off to a good start. Ben Slater (11) scored a couple of early fours through mid-off and mid-wicket but perished in the fifth over, nicking Klein through to a diving Lewis Hill.
Captain McKay then dismissed his opposite number Billy Godleman (9) in the next over, Mark Cosgrove taking a stunning diving catch at second slip, before Griffiths yorked Shiv Thakor (6) to leave the Falcons at 35-3.
Hughes and Wayne Madsen (7) both drove pleasantly through mid-on as Derbyshire moved to 45-3 after the powerplay but there was a huge mix-up between the pair at the end of the 11th.
Both batsmen were well out of the crease when Delport moved in from point. The fielder dived to break the stumps at the striker’s end, and Madsen had to depart given the batsmen had crossed and he was closest to regaining his ground.
Delport also managed to get the ball back towards the Bennett End so it was a rare occasion where either of the batsmen could have been run out at either end.
The Falcons needed to regroup and a 69-run partnership was provided by Hughes and Jeevan Mendis. It was a contrast of styles as the overseas player took his time to settle while Hughes put away four overpitched deliveries and also sent a reverse sweep and clip off the pads racing across the lush Grace Road outfield; you would never have guessed there had been heavy rain recently.
Mendis swotted Sayer for six over mid-wicket after getting his eye in but perished later in the 26th over, driving straight to McKay at mid-off to leave the Falcons at 116-5. That nearly became six as Hughes nicked a Tom Wells delivery but it hit the ground just before it reached the gloves of Hill.
Hughes recorded 50 from 62 balls (7x4) but wickets continued to fall at the other end, Daryn Smit (12) trapped in front by Griffiths before Klein returned to have Luis Reece (5) caught at the wicket to leave the visitors at 147-7 in the 35th over.
The Falcons could ill-afford to lose any more wickets, so Hughes and Critchley accumulated sensibly. Indeed Hughes’ ninth four, a stroke over mid-wicket in the 42nd over, was the first boundary for 11.3 overs as Derbyshire knocked the ball into gaps.
Critchley pulled Griffiths just beyond the grasp of Wells at deep mid-wicket to record his first four and the stand reached 50 in the 45th over. It was ended as Klein bowled Critchley off his pads to claim best figures for the Foxes, the leg-spinner having made a useful 29.
Griffiths then pinned Hardus Viljoen (0) lbw in the next over so it was left for Hughes to tee off, launching Wells over extra before getting down on one knee to strike over deep backward square-leg for his first maximum.
But he was to fall agonisingly short of a deserved hundred, the final wicket going down as Ben Cotton edged McKay to a diving Hill, who took a smart one-handed effort.
The Foxes suffered an early blow as Mark Pettini (1) edged Viljoen’s first delivery to Hughes at second slip but Delport still took the attack to the Falcons. The left-hander struck four powerful fours and a maximum down the ground and also clouted a brace of boundaries over mid-wicket as he moved to 39 of the 48 runs scored within the powerplay.
Delport hit another straight four before glancing off his hips to record an entertaining 59-ball half-century (8x4, 1x6).
Number three Eckersley was a good foil, working the ball into the gaps in a 74-run partnership that ended as Delport (53, 62b) nicked Thakor to ‘keeper Smit, who took a fine catch standing up. One brought two for the Falcons as Cosgrove (1) was pinned lbw by Cotton in the next over.
Eckersley guided an effortless drive through backward point while Aadil struck two boundaries as 11 came from Mendis’ opening over. Cotton continued to ask questions during a probing spell and claimed his second wicket when Aadil (12) edged to Smit.
The calming influence of Eckersley was welcoming for the Foxes. The batsman made his way to 50, including nicely timed boundaries through cover and backward point off Critchley. The landmark came from 57 balls (4x4).
Hill was extremely busy at the wicket, being particularly severe on anything short. His half-century came off just 55 balls, and in total the batsman struck ten fours as well as a six over mid-on.
He lost Eckersley shortly before the target was reached, run out by a direct hit from Madsen, but the Foxes still won with more than ten overs to spare.
Leicestershire now head to Headingley for a crunch fixture on Tuesday afternoon (2pm). Our hosts also require a victory in order to try to secure top spot in the group, so it promises to be an exciting encounter.
TEAM | Pettini, Delport, Eckersley, Cosgrove, Aadil, Hill (wk), Wells, Sayer, McKay, Klein, Griffiths.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Klein 10-0-46-3, McKay 8.4-1-28-2, Griffiths 10-1-44-3, Wells 9-0-48-0, Sayer 10-0-46-1.
