Impressive Foxes land opening RLODC win

RESULT | Royal London One-Day Cup game 1: Leicestershire Foxes 265 for 7 beat Northants Steelbacks 193 by 72 runs

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo

REACTION | Head Coach Paul Nixon and centurion Paul Horton spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Mike McCarthy after the win

HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season

POINTS | Northants Steelbacks 0, Leicestershire Foxes 2

REPORT | Paul Horton, Gavin Griffiths and Ben Raine produced terrific performances to lead Leicestershire Foxes to an impressive victory in the opening Royal London One-Day Cup match at Northants Steelbacks.

Opener Horton recorded the first century of this year’s competition, a mix of elegant strokeplay and placement setting the foundation for a solid Foxes total of 265 for 7.

Griffiths recently returned consecutive career-bests in the Specsavers County Championship game at Durham and claimed his finest List A figures of 4 for 30. 

All-rounder Raine again made a telling contribution, scoring 32 and then picking up 3 for 31 as the Foxes bowled out the Steelbacks for 193 at Wantage Road.

Leicestershire Foxes named a similar side to the one that beat Glamorgan in red ball cricket on Sunday with Ned Eckersley and Zak Chappell coming in as the only changes.

Alex Wakely won the toss and invited the Foxes to bat first on a bright but chilly morning in Northampton. Michael Carberry and Horton made steady progress with the latter finding the boundary on three occasions as the score moved to 34 for 0 after the powerplay.

The alliance reached 60 inside 14 overs before Carberry (25, 35b) chopped Luke Procter’s first delivery on to his wicket. Horton passed a lovely 50 from 67 balls (6x4) while Colin Ackermann (30, 41b) also looked in good touch, sending a couple of boundaries through mid-wicket and extra cover and also smashing one over cover point.

The first maximum of the game from Ackermann took the score to 124 for 1 at the halfway stage but the No.3 fell in the next over. Wakely had to run towards the edge of the ring at cover before pocketing a good catch over his shoulder off the slow left arm of Graeme White.

Opener Horton moved into three figures in the 35th over from 120 balls (9x4) but the Foxes lost four wickets in quick succession. 

Horton (103, 126b) glanced a leg-side Kleinveldt delivery into the hands of Adam Rossington, Chappell (5, 11b) was bowled by the all-rounder, Cosgrove (27, 33b) then edged Procter to the ‘keeper, before Dexter (11, 15b) drove the same bowler to mid-off.

Some clean hitting and scampering from Eckersley (25*, 25b) and Raine (32, 26b) saw them add 52 useful runs in exactly seven overs for the seventh wicket, the left-hander holing out to the last ball of the innings bowled by Brett Hutton.

Cobb struck five early boundaries in the chase before Ben Duckett (2, 12b) opted to take a quick single and was run out by a direct hit from Carberry at mid-off. Richard Levi (11, 14b) struck Raine for two consecutive boundaries at the start of the 11th over before being held right on the cover boundary by Dexter from the following ball.

The game was intriguingly poised at 51 for 2 but Raine and Griffiths landed another pair of important blows, the all-rounder enticing Wakely (5, 6b) to drive to Ackermann at backward point while Griffiths bowled Keogh (8, 18b) off the inside edge.

Cobb progressed to a well-constructed 57-ball 50 (7x4, 1x6), before Griffiths continued his magnificent form to swing the game decisively in the Foxes’ favour.

The seamer had Cobb caught by Horton at cover before finding the shoulder of Procter’s bat as Ackermann snapped up another chance behind point. Rossington was then bowled by the on-song paceman to leave the Steelbacks at 106 for 7 in the 23rd over.

Another wicket fell as Kleinveldt (16, 10b) top-edged Chappell high to ‘keeper Eckersley in the young quick bowler’s opening over, before White and Hutton (34*, 41b) shared 64, the highest stand of the innings.

Raine put paid to it by having White (38, 42b) caught at the wicket before Dexter bowled Sanderson (2, 9b) to complete a fine win for the Foxes.

TEAM | Carberry (capt), Horton, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Eckersley (wk), Dexter, Chappell, Raine, Parkinson, Griffiths, Aaron. 

FIGURES | Raine 10-1-31-3, Aaron 7-0-46-0, Parkinson 7-0-47-0, Griffiths 7-0-30-4, Chappell 5-0-25-1, Dexter 2.2-0-10-1

PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Paul Horton batting today.

* Our first Royal London One-Day Cup home fixture is against Notts Outlaws on Wednesday, May 23. Tickets are available for just £12 for adults, £3 for under 16s or £27 for a family ticket (2 adults & 3 under 16s) in advance of the game HERE