Match Preview v Lancashire Lightning
Fri 28 Aug 2020
Leicestershire Foxes continue their 2020 Vitality Blast campaign with the visit of Lancashire Lightning to the Fischer County Ground.
Despite having been scheduled to face Derbyshire Falcons at the Fischer County Ground on the opening round of the competition, this is the Foxes’ first home fixture of the season as Derbyshire’s Incora County Ground was being used as a bio-secure venue for the visiting Australian squad.
Leicestershire head into the fixture not having faced nor bowled a single ball in the competition, as consistent rain on Thursday, August 27, saw the fixture against the Falcons abandoned with each team picking up a point.
Conversely, Lancashire Lightning are the only team in the group with a win under their belt as they ran out winners by 27 runs at Emirates Riverside thanks to a Keaton Jennings 108 coming off 63 balls.
As the contest is scheduled to be played behind closed doors, Leicestershire have been working in the background to provide an improved viewer experience for the T20 matches.
This means that every ball of each home Leicestershire Foxes 2020 Vitality Blast campaign will be streamed live and will be free to watch for every Running Foxes fan.
Head-to-Head
Arron Lilley faces his former-Lancashire teammates with the visit of Lightning as he heads into the fixture as one of the Foxes’ danger men with the bat.
Since making the move to Leicestershire, Lilley has scored his runs at a rapid strike rate for the Foxes, hitting 248 runs last year at a phenomenal strike rate of 167.56, as well as hitting boundaries in 22.97% of balls faced - a figure which is elite level.
Across the last three years in T20 cricket, Lilley has scored 671 runs at a strike rate of 160.91, and hit boundaries in 23.74% of balls faced.
Lancashire's captain and wicket-keeper and recipient of a £125k contract in The Hundred draft, Dane Vilas has comparably hit scored 660 runs in the past three years at a strike rate of 133.87, and hit boundaries in just 13.59% of balls faced.
Last Time We Met in Vitality Blast
The last time that Leicestershire Foxes and Lancashire Lightning met in the Vitality Blast was in the final 2019 North Group game at Emirates Old Trafford.
By this point, Leicestershire’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals had ended following defeat to the Derbyshire Falcons at the Fischer County Ground five days prior, whereas Lightning were looking to cement their place as group winners.
Foxes captain Colin Ackermann won the toss and opted to bat first and was looking to set up a competitive run-chase for the home side.
The opening partnership of Mark Cosgrove (39) and Harry Swindells (4) started brightly with the score sitting at 44 without loss as the fifth over looked to come to a close.
However, the wickets of both opening batsman from consecutive Steven Croft deliveries quickly saw the Foxes down to their third wicket partnership of Ackermann and Lilley during the powerplay.
The third wicket went for 33 after Ackermann (21) went off the bowling of Callum Parkinson’s twin brother; Matt.
The rest of the batting line-up then failed to surpass the 33-run partnership of the third wicket with the Foxes finishing on 142 for nine after the allotted 20 overs.
Lancashire were chasing a total of 143 for the win and after Alex Davies (39) and Liam Livingstone (28) put on a first wicket stand of 54 after 5.1 overs, looked well on their way to claim victory.
The third wicket partnership of Davies and Australian international Glenn Maxwell (29no) lifted the home side into a commanding position with the score on 89 for three after 10.1 overs, as Callum Parkinson claimed his second of the match.
Maxwell then anchored the rest of the innings alongside captain Dane Vilas (6), James Faulkner (11) and finally Keaton Jennings (12no) with the latter seeing the Lightning over the line at a canter.
The home side won by five wickets with eight balls remaining sealing their top spot finish in the 2019 Vitality Blast North Group.
Squad
The squad for the Lightning fixture remains the same from the 13 named for the abandoned Falcons match.
Lewis Hill is available for selection following his return from injury.
Gareth Delany is yet to make his debut for the club following the washout against Derbyshire Falcons on Thursday.
Arron Lilley is in the squad and looking to face his former employers alongside seamer Dieter Klein.
Leicestershire from 13: Colin Ackermann (c), Will Davis, Gareth Delany, Harry Dearden, Gavin Griffiths, Lewis Hill, Dieter Klein, Arron Lilley, Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, George Rhodes, Harry Swindells, Tom Taylor.
