Foxes v Lightning Preview
Fri 19 Jul 2019
Leicestershire Foxes head into their first Vitality Blast fixture of the season later today as they take on Lancashire Lightning at the Fischer County Ground.
The match comes hot on the heels of a dramatic conclusion to the Specsavers County Championship fixture against Gloucestershire CCC at Cheltenham College.
That fixture with ended in a chase of a T20 nature with the hosts needing 48 runs from eight overs, as they had to come out and bat as if it were a white ball competition.
Head Coach Paul Nixon has named a 13-man squad for the Lightning fixture. He said: “Arron Lilley will come in, as will Dieter Klein and Lewis Hill. Aadil Ali will come back into the squad after a few good runs the other day in the second team playing T20.
“It is a great opportunity for guys to go and get a hold of a position and make it their own and that’s what it is about – it is about role clarity and making sure that you practice consistently which the guys who have not been in the Championship squad have been doing.”
One player who will be unavailable this evening is Mark Cosgrove, who was struck on the helmet in the nets on the first morning at Cheltenham. He has been ruled out under the concussion protocol.
Nixon said: “He feels fine, which is the main thing. But we have to respect the protocol. It makes him even more determined to come back in and score runs so we look forward to that.”
The Foxes have a number of talented youngsters in a squad led by Colin Ackermann, including Academy graduates Ben Mike and Harry Swindells.
Nixon said: “We have got to bring in our youngsters and Ben [Mike] is getting better and better. He has had some great experience this year away with Warwickshire, and has come back better for it.
“It is really exciting for these young lads to get the shackles off in T20, after the tight, more disciplined format of four-day cricket, and express themselves.”
Leicestershire Foxes (from 13): Colin Ackermann (capt), Aadil Ali, Will Davis, Harry Dearden, Neil Dexter, Gavin Griffiths, Lewis Hill (wk), Dieter Klein, Arron Lilley, Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Harry Swindells, Chris Wright.
* You can buy tickets HERE for tonight’s fixture as the Foxes get their Vitality Blast campaign up and running against Lancashire Lightning (6:30pm).
