Foxes v Durham Preview

The Fischer County Ground finally saw some Vitality Blast action as Yorkshire Vikings visited following the washout against Lancashire Lightning four days prior.

The game saw a record-equalling 31 sixes hit between the two sides, which ultimately lost the fixture for the Foxes as they lost out by 54 runs to the Vikings.

Head Coach Paul Nixon spoke after the game. He said: “Firstly, I am very proud of the guys about the way they looked at going for that huge score.

“We knew that we wanted to play a new brand of cricket, we wanted to have small boundaries which obviously means a bit more pressure on the bowlers.

“We have to execute well, and Yorkshire did that better than we did. The internationals have showed their quality.”

Coming into the fixture off the back of a defeat against Birmingham Bears on Sunday (July 21), the batting performance improved immensely, and that is something that Nixon is looking to take away from the Vikings fixture.

He said: “What is pleasing is the way that we believed that we could go out and take them down, and we showed it right through the innings.

“We consistently hit fours and sixes. It is great to see Lewis Hill striking the ball so cleanly, and Arron Lilley nearly had a 200-strike rate.

“We know that this is our brand of cricket, the way we want to play, and the crowd must have loved it.

“Obviously we are on the wrong end of the result tonight, but if we execute better and keep the score down then we know that we can win the game.”

The Foxes now turn their attentions towards the Durham Cricket fixture on Friday (July 26) as they search for their first win in the competition.

Nixon said: “Durham are a competitive side. but we know that if we execute better and play the way we did with the bat, then we know that we will be really tough to beat.

“It is a game that will be an exciting game of cricket as Durham have a good side.”

Following the impressive turnout of fans on Tuesday, with the official attendance figure of 2,825, the former Foxes wicket-keeper is hoping that the spectacle will entice them back to support the Foxes.

He said: “Over 450 runs in 40 overs was exceptional. I hope everyone enjoyed it. We loved their support and there was a great atmosphere here.

“Durham will come here and it will be very different to what they are used to – they generally use every inch of grass, as we used to, and they run people ragged.

“Whoever executes best on the day will win, so let’s move forward and prepare well.”

The Foxes have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the fixture, with Gavin Griffiths and Will Davis named alongside the XI that played against Yorkshire Vikings on Tuesday.

Leicestershire Foxes (from 13): Ackermann (capt), Aadil, Cosgrove, Davis, Dearden, Dexter, Hill (wk), Griffiths, Klein, Lilley, Mike, Parkinson, Wright.

* The Foxes take on Durham Cricket on Friday (July 26) and will be looking to earn their first win of the Vitality Blast. Purchase your tickets in advance to earn a 25% discount, click HERE to get yours – available until midnight on July 25!