Maiden ton in vain for Patel

RLC 3 | Leicestershire Foxes 269 for nine v Warwickshire 303 for six “ Warwickshire win by seven runs

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Leicestershire Foxes 0, Warwickshire 2

REPORT | After being 121 for five in the 24th over, a record sixth wicket stand of 153 shared between Lamb and Brookes clawed the hosts back into the game, and saw them post a competitive score for the Running Foxes to chase.

A record first wicket partnership for Leicestershire against Warwickshire in List A replied, as career best List A scores from Patel (118) and Swindells (69) were set in vain for the Running Foxes.

The news from the middle at Edgbaston was that opposing skipper, Will Rhodes, won the toss and opted for a bat. Subsequently, Dieter Klein opened the bowling for the Running Foxes, and struck with just his second delivery of the day.

Ed Pollock came into the fixture on the back of an unbeaten 103 from the victory in Derbyshire, but failed to build on it, as he played and missed at Klein’s yorker which went on to clatter the batsman’s middle and off stumps for a two-ball duck.

Skipper Rhodes emerged to join Yates in the middle with the hosts on nought for one.

The duo got off to a good start with Yates leading the way and bringing up the Warwickshire fifty following an over of 14 off the bowling of Wright. The fifty came up in 7.4 overs and 30 minutes in the middle together.

The duo looked in a solid position and it was looking like the Foxes needed something special to bring the second wicket stand to an end.

Arron Lilley came in for his first over and produced an absolute jaffa to dismiss the hosts skipper for 14 (18b).

The Foxes man’s delivery pitched middle and leg, beat the bat of Rhodes and clipped top of off on its way through to leave Warwickshire on 53 for two.

Burgess joined Yates (34no) in the middle and helped his teammate on his way to his half-century.

The Warwickshire opener recorded his fifty in 48 balls, including eight fours and one six as he flicked Barnes over the covers and away for four.

George Rhodes came in for his first over of the day, and became the third wicket taker for the Foxes, and the third bowler to claim a wicket within his first over of the day.

Burgess (12, 19b) was the man to go, as the Warwickshire wicketkeeper looked to send the delivery back over Rhodes’ head and away for a boundary. However, the batsman got nowhere near enough if it and guided it straight to the hands of Lilley at long off who took the comfortable catch.

The hosts were 87 for three after 15.2. Three overs later and the fourth wicket partnership saw the hosts over the 100-run mark, after 18.5 overs.

Two overs later and Rehan Ahmed had claimed his maiden wicket for Leicestershire County Cricket Club, and in doing so, dismissed danger man Yates for a-run-a-ball 72.

The batsman got out in similar style to Burgess, as he looked to send the bowler over his head and away for a boundary but could only guide it to the hands to the hands of Marcus Harris, who was running in from the rope.

Bethell came out and joined Lamb in the middle as the Running Foxes were now into the young, inexperienced tail of the hosts’ batting line up, with Warwickshire sitting on 117 for four after 20.6 overs.

The fifth wicket stand lasted just eight minutes before Rhodes beat the bat of the newest batsman at the crease and trapped him infront for 3 from 12 balls. Warwickshire were now 121 for five after 23.4 overs.

The sixth wicket stand came together as Brookes joined Lamb in the middle and proved a very tough partnership to break, frustrating the Running Foxes as they looked to continue their wicket haul.

After 10 overs together in the middle, the partnership’s fifty came up in 32 minutes and was promptly followed by Lamb’s half-century.

The fifty came from 58 balls, including five fours and his wicket was proving the pivotal wicket of the Warwickshire innings.

The partnership went from strength to strength with the young Brookes looking in good touch in the middle alongside Lamb and was impressing with his stroke-play.

The duo then brought up their 200, after 38 overs, and with 10 overs remaining sat on 213 for five “ a much improved position to that when Brookes emerged. The sixth wicket stand had put on a total of 92 (98b) at this point.

The 100th run partnership came up after 40.5 as Lamb drove Wright away into the off side.

Brookes’ maiden List A half-century came up with a six over deep cover off the bowling Wright, coming in 58 balls, including three fours and two sixes.

With Ahmed’s final ball of his 10-over allotment, the duo of Lamb and Brookes had set a new record sixth wicket partnership against Leicestershire, eclipsing that of Tim Ambrose and Will Rhodes’ partnership of 133 set against Worcestershire in 2018.

With five overs to go, the sixth wicket partnership for Warwickshire remained intact with the hosts on 264 for five, led by Lamb (91no, 87b), accompanied by Brookes (60no, 62b).

The 150th run for the sixth wicket partnership was brought up after 45.5 overs and 75 minutes together in the middle.

The sixth wicket stand finally came to an end in the 47th over as Brookes (63, 65b) top edged Klein’s delivery to the edge of the circle at extra cover where Patel was on hand to take the catch. Carver joined Lamb in the middle with the batsman eyeing up his maiden List A century, as Warwickshire sat on 274 for six.

Lamb then became the third Warwickshire player to record their maiden List A ton in three games, as he drove Klein into the off side to run the quick single required. The century came from 94 balls and included eight fours and one six.

The seventh wicket duo went on to record a further 29 runs in 23 deliveries before the hosts’ innings came to a close on 303 for six, with Lamb finishing not out on 119 (105b) alongside Carver on 5no (10b).

Harry Swindells and Rishi Patel emerged for County to get the reply underway, and got off to an assured start.

The first five overs yielded 22 runs without loss for Leicestershire, as the batsmen began to get themselves in with both recording their first boundaries of the day.

The following five overs yielded a further 40 runs, with Patel recording the only two maximums of the Foxes’ innings so far, including a six off the back of a no-ball off the bowling of Bulpitt over midwicket.

At the end of the first powerplay, the Running Foxes had chipped 62 runs off the target with all 10 wickets still intact.

The duo continued their charge and soon the fifty was brought up by Patel, his second List A half-century of the season.

A delicate little glance off the pads off the bowling of Garrett saw the fifty brought up with his sixth four of the innings, from 39 balls also including two sixes.

Two perfectly timed drives from Swindells, off the bowling of Garrett saw the Foxes man record two further boundaries and bring up the Leicestershire 100, coming after 16 overs and 58 minutes.

The Foxes wicketkeeper then joined his teammate in recording his half-century, his first in List A cricket as he reverse-swept Yates perfectly, to the right of Johal at third man and over the rope for his sixth four of the innings. The fifty coming in 55 balls.

Swindells went on to record three consecutive fours off the bowling of Carver to accelerate to the high sixties.

The 70th run never came for the Foxes man though, as a short Bethell delivery wrapped the batsman on the pads and dismissed him for 69 off 71 balls.

With the wicket, the first wicket partnership record for Leicestershire Foxes against Warwickshire in List A cricket was updated as the 159 recorded by Swindells and Patel eclipsed the previous record of 130, set by David Gower and Jack Birkenshaw in 1977 at Grace Road.

Consequently, Marcus Harris made his way to the middle with Patel sitting on 84no off 80 balls, and Leicestershire on 159 for one.

Harris was in the middle long enough to see Patel through to his maiden List A ton after pushing Lamb into the off side for the single required. The century came from 92 balls and included 11 fours and two sixes.

The Australian, though, only lasted 23 minutes in the middle before making his way back to the pavilion. Some smart fielding from Brookes at short third man off the batting of Patel saw the Foxes overseas star run out for 14 off 21.

Lewis Hill made his way to the middle with Patel still in the middle on 102 not out and Leicestershire on 191 for two.

The Skipper saw his Running Foxes over the 200-run mark after pulling Johal away over the leg side for his first maximum of the contest, with the 200 coming after 32.4 overs and 118 minutes.

Two overs later and County’s centurion was heading back to join his teammates in the pavilion after looking to pull Johal away for his fourth six of the innings. On the rope though, was Lamb who took a smart grab above his head and manged to not overstep the boundary whilst doing so.

Patel departed for a career best 118 in List A cricket, with Leicestershire on 217 for three, requiring 87 further runs as Rhodes joined Hill in the middle.

Six balls later, and Leicestershire had two new batsmen in the middle as Hill (12, 16b) lofted Rhodes’ delivery high into the sky towards cover where Lamb again was on hand to take the catch.

Lilley joined Rhodes in the middle with Leicestershire sitting 83 runs shy of the total on 221 for four.

Lilley’s stint lasted 16 minutes before heading back to the pavilion after nicking Rhodes’ delivery through to Burgess behind for nine from 10 balls.

Kimber joined Rhodes in the middle with Leicestershire on 237 for five, with 10.2 remaining.

The sixth wicket partnership lasted just 20 deliveries before Garrett linked up with Burgess this time to dismiss Rhodes for 14 (25b). The Warwickshire man found the slightest edge and Burgess was equal to it behind the stumps.

Rehan Ahmed made his way out to join Kimber in the middle with Leicestershire on 258 for six, with 7 overs remaining.

Wickets from consecutive balls, but from separate overs saw Ahmed (3, 6b) and Kimber (16, 16b) go leaving Barnes and Klein in the middle with Leicestershire requiring 38 off the remaining 4.5 overs.

A four off the bowling off Garrett, over square leg from the final ball of the 47th over left the Running Foxes requiring 27 off the remaining three overs.

Seven from the 48th over saw the Foxes requiring 10 an over to claim their second victory of the 2021 Royal London Cup campaign.

Following a brief stoppage in play as Dieter Klein received treatment, play got back underway. Klein required a runner following the injury sustained, however, ultimately did not have the chance to use them.

Garret continued his eighth over and claimed the wicket of the Germany international with his next ball, clattering his middle and off stump as the batsman made room for a scoop shot.

Wright joined Barnes in the middle to form the final partnership of the Leicestershire innings, with the Running Foxes requiring 17 further runs from the nine deliveries.

The Warwickshire bowling attack though - led superbly by skipper Rhodes - kept the pressure on the batsmen, conceding just nine runs from the remaining deliveries and securing their second victory of the Royal London Cup campaign by seven runs.

FIGURES | Klein 10-0-62-2, Wright 7-0-60-0, Lilley 7-0-35-1, Barnes 6-0-42-0, Ahmed 10-0-47-1, Rhodes 10-0-54-2

Bulpitt 4-0-30-0, Carver 6-0-37-0, Johal 8-0-49-1, Garrett 8-0-50-3, Bethell 8-0-39-1, Yates 3-0-20-0, Lamb 3-0-17-0, Rhodes 10-0-49-3

FOXES | Patel, Rhodes, Harris, Hill (C), Lilley, Swindells (wk), Kimber, Ahmed, Barnes, Klein, Wright

WARWICKSHIRE | Pollock, Yates, Rhodes (C), Burgess (wk), Lamb, Bethell, Brookes, Carver, Garrett, Johal, Bulpitt