Match Preview v Durham
Fri 14 Aug 2020
Leicestershire CCC continue their 2020 Bob Willis Trophy campaign as Durham visit the Fischer County Ground to get round three up and running on Saturday 15 August.
The Running Foxes head into the fixture following a 3-day defeat against Derbyshire CCC which saw the away team win by nine wickets.
Similarly, Durham travel to Leicestershire having lost to Lancashire by an innings and 18 runs after only three days of play. Durham currently sit bottom of the Bob Willis Trophy North Group.
Download and print your official scorecard HERE
Watch the Foxes live through our online streaming service
As confirmed by Leicestershire County Cricket Club, the Bob Willis Trophy fixtures played at The Fischer County Ground will be available to watch via a live stream.
The remaining matches to be streamed are this round’s fixture against Durham [August 15] and the local derby against Nottinghamshire [August 22].
The stream can be accessed via the Leicestershire CCC website and will be live each morning of the 4-day matches.
Durham - ones to watch
Alex Lees – An opening batsman who has recently experienced both the highs and the lows of opening the batting during his two Bob Willis Trophy fixtures. Highly skilled and capable of posting a match winning innings whenever he is at bat, he will be looking to make amends for his second innings score of 0 from nine in the last round defeat. He posted 181 in his last appearance against Leicestershire.
Ben Raine – A man that Leicestershire fans know all to well having been a Running Fox at the Fischer County Ground. An all-rounder who has shown his capabilities with the bat as well as the ball after impressing in a breakthrough 2015 season for the Foxes. A strong lower-order batsman to call upon when needed.
Chris Rushworth – A serial wicket taker. He recently earned his 500th first-class wicket against Yorkshire and will open the attack for Durham. He is capable of skittling anyone out on his day and was instrumental in Durham’s away County Championship victory over Leicestershire, at the Fischer County Ground, in 2019.
Last Time We Met
The last time that Leicestershire met Durham was in the 2019 Vitality Blast North Group at Chester-le-Street.
Durham ran out convincing winners and made it two wins in six days against the Foxes after claiming victory at the Fischer County Ground prior.
Leicestershire lost the toss and were put into bat by the home side after Durham chased down the Foxes’ total with ease earlier in the week.
Despite a strong opening partnership of 48 for the first wicket, the Foxes posted a target of 143 for Durham which was helped largely by captain Colin Ackermann’s 52 off 41 balls.
Durham were in a comfortable position and the accuracy of D’Arcy Short and Graham Clark on the huge outfield at Chester-le-Street suffocated the Foxes attack, with Short reaching his half-century from just 26 balls which included with 10 fours.
The partnership of Short and Clark was broken in the eleventh over after the duo posted 118. Former-Fox Ben Raine then came to the crease and only lasted 8 balls before being caught by Arron Lilley off the bowling of Callum Parkinson, but the damage was already done.
The third wicket partnership of Clark and Lees then saw Durham canter over the line with 32 balls remaining.
Last Time We Met in County Championship
The last time the two teams met in the County Championship was this time last year as Leicestershire made the trip to Chester-le-Street for the fifth and final meeting of the two teams in 2019.
The toss was uncontested therefore Leicestershire elected to bowl first which suited Durham as they went on to post a mammoth 544 for 9dec. thanks to a huge 181 from opener Alex Lees.
Meaningful innings’ from Jack Burnham (86) and former-Fox Ned Eckersley (71*) helped Durham to their total which saw them bat until just before tea on day two leaving Leicestershire with a big task on their hands.
Hassan Azad and Paul Horton got the Leicestershire reply off to a good start as their first wicket went for 100 after captain Horton was caught by Robson off Carse for 52.
However, a duck for Neil Dexter followed by quick wickets of veteran Mark Cosgrove (21) and stalwart Azad (53) meant the remaining batting order had to dig deep to avoid the follow on. Leicestershire needed another 252 runs to reach the total of 395 to avoid the follow-on.
The Foxes fell short of the required 395 as they found themselves all out for 236 following a master-class from Durham quick, Brydon Carse, who finished the innings with 6 for 63.
Durham enforced the follow-on and the opening partnership of Azad and Horton started in the same fashion posting a lead-denting 93 for the first wicket, before Horton was caught behind by Eckersley off Raine.
A big blow in the second innings fell shortly after, as Azad was caught behind by Eckersley off Carse and Durham’s grip on the tie tightened.
Dexter came and went for 24 with the third wicket signalling the end of day three leaving Cosgrove at the crease on 21no and Durham needing seven wickets.
However, a defiant Cosgrove, helped by Ackermann mostly, did everything in their power to deny Durham the win after batting superbly throughout the final day.
Ackermann was caught by Handscomb off Trevaskis for a hard-fought 56 off 141 as he put on a telling partnership of 104 with Cosgrove who remained at the crease.
Harry Swindells was the only other Fox to make it into double figures as Cosgrove led the fightback from Leicestershire with the Australian finishing on an impressive 107* from 269 balls.
The match ended in a draw with the home side coming away from the fixture frustrated that they could not capitalise on the position they were in at the beginning of the final day.
Leicestershire Squad
Paul Nixon has named a 13-man squad for the visit of Durham.
Sam Evans is named in the squad after Ben Slater's return to Nottinghamshire opens up a spot in the top order.
New Fox James Weighell misses out on making his debut for Leicestershire against his parent club.
Leicestershire from 13: Hassan Azad, Colin Ackermann, Will Davis, Harry Dearden, Alex Evans, Sam Evans, Gavin Griffiths, Dieter Klein, Arron Lilley, Callum Parkinson, George Rhodes, Harry Swindells (wk), Tom Taylor.
