Foxes v Vikings Preview

The Foxes head into their second Vitality Blast fixture at the Fischer County Ground following the washout on Friday (July 19) against Lancashire Lightning which saw the match go no further than the toss.

The club would like to reiterate that the tickets brought for the Lightning match are reusable for tomorrow’s Yorkshire Vikings fixture – just bring along the ticket from the Lightning fixture to gain admission to the ground.

Following defeat at Edgbaston at the hands of the Birmingham Bears on Sunday (July 21), Foxes T20 captain Colin Ackermann spoke on the resul. He said: “Obviously it was a tough game for us.

“After the Lancashire washout our energy was high, and having come here for the last two years and done well against the Bears, our hopes were really high.”

The Foxes soon found themselves three wickets down following a blistering start from Bears opening seamer, Fidel Edwards, who took three wickets in his first over on debut for the home side.

Ackermann and Harry Dearden found themselves at the wicket during a crucial moment in the fixture: “It is difficult losing three in the first over,” said Ackermann.

“Myself and Harry Dearden had to rebuild the innings. Deards [Harry Dearden] played really well to post his 20-odd which I think will stand him in good stead for the competition and give him a bit of confidence.”

Not only did the Foxes fall short with the bat, but early chances were missed in the field, relieving the Bears of any early pressure in their innings. Ackermann said: “If you are defending a small total like we were, we need to take our chances up front.

“We had a few that we could of taken, but our hopes are still high. After this loss, we are still only two games into a long tournament.

“One thing we can take away from today was the way that they [Birmingham Bears] bowled. That is the kind of blueprint we want to have - to attack and take wickets up front because it shows how much damage you can do.”

The Foxes now turn their attention to the Yorkshire Vikings fixture tomorrow (July 23) as both teams head into the fixture with identical records; one draw and one defeat.

“We have to do the basics well,” Ackermann said. “We will assess the pitch when we get to the Fischer County Ground and plan accordingly, but the boys will be up for it.

“We are hurting from this defeat so it is all systems go for Tuesday.”

The Vikings will travel to the Fischer County Ground with a line-up including a number of international stars, and Ackermann is ready for the test. He said: “We will look at their players individually before the game.

“But we have played against a few of them in the past so already know their strengths and weaknesses, and we will have plans in place for all of them.”

Further, as the tickets purchased for the Lancashire Lightning fixture are available to use for the fixture against the Yorkshire Vikings, the T20 captain is looking forward to a packed Fischer County Ground: “We would love to have everyone down at the ground on Tuesday.

“I hear that the weather is going to be good on Tuesday, so bring yourselves down to the Fischer County Ground and come support the Foxes.”

The Foxes have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the visit of the Vikings, with Aadil Ali and Will Davis competing for starts alongside the XI that played at Edgbaston.

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

* Tickets for the Vikings fixture are still available for purchase online. You can earn 25% discount if brought in advance. Click HERE to buy yours now!