Minhas Hundred Helps Academy Thrash Notts

Leicestershire Under 18s carried on their outstanding white ball form with a brilliant all-round performance to thump local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws by 280 runs on Sunday.

Usman Minhas’ hundred inspired the Academy to 339/7 from their 50 overs before skipper Liam Tew led from the front to skittle Notts for just 59 at Kibworth.

Leicestershire won the toss, elected to bat and they made it count. The top three Foxes batters played superb individual knocks with the opening partnership of Jay Madan and Usman Minhas falling just shy of 100.

Madan has made the most runs for Jigar Naik’s side in the T20 format, and made another fine 40 before he fell to Akand Singh Gangotra.

Minhas carried on the scoring rate, notching 13 fours and four sixes to bring up a brilliant hundred. In the process he also made a hundred partnership with Ronak Rajeshekar, before he was trapped lbw by Sam Seecharan.

The opener scored 112 off 99 balls leaving a platform for Rajeshekar to build from, which he did with the aid of Darius Fanibanda and in the 45th over he hit a four back over the bowler to complete his own 50.

The number three made 69 before being caught by Travis Holland off the bowling of Gangotra with Fanibanda scoring 36 of his own before losing his wicket in the same over.

Some late order power innings saw the Foxes add 101 runs in the final 10 overs of their innings.

In reply to 339, the Nottinghamshire batting line-up buckled under scoreboard pressure. Leicestershire claimed five wickets in the first 13 overs with Raiffe Headley getting things started when Travis Holland edged behind to keeper Jacob Townsend.

Liam Tew claimed two in an over with captain Sam Seecharan being caught and bowled before Byron Hatton-Lowe went LBW two balls later.

Headley (6-0-18-2) continued his strong start with the scalp of opener Aditya Badge, before Jacob Hughes top edged a Fanibanda (6-2-13-1) delivery straight to Keshav Sthanakiya.

The chaos had left Notts on 30-5, which was only made worse when Liam Tew got his third wicket to leave the Outlaws six down still needing 305 to win. Tew ending with economical figures of 7-3-10-3 in a true captain’s performance.

This position proved unrecoverable as Notts were eventually bowled out for 59 when Singh Gangotra was caught and bowled by Sthanakiya, completing a brilliant 280 run victory for Leicestershire.

Ali Farooq (4-1-9-1) and Josh Fitzpatrick (1-0-2-1) also in the wickets.