Mixed fortunes for Seconds at Loughborough
Fri 5 Jun 2015
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
Leicestershire 2nd XI won one and lost one of their two T20 matches played at Loughborough Town CC on Thursday 4 June 2015 against Unicorns.
The team has now won two and lost four of their games in the competition with two further matches to come against Northamptonshire at Grace Road on Thursday, June 18.
A warm sunny morning was in evidence at the Park Road ground and there were a healthy number of spectators present when the teams took the field. The Scorers yet again being housed in a building that served as a wind tunnel, and being some 20 degrees below the ‘open air’ temperature.
My colleague swathed himself in a jumper and coat, unfortunately I did not bring along my cold weather gear, so I had to tough it out, whilst spectators ambled past the Scorebox in T shirts and shorts, oblivious to the freezer-like conditions we were experiencing.
In Game 1, Neil Pinner won the toss for County and asked Unicorns to bat. Unicorns mustered 136-6 from their 20 overs, the pick of the batsman being Richard Moore who made 50 (5x4) from 44 balls. Ollie Freckingham and Connor Harvey (trialist) picked up two wickets each, and Atif Sheikh and Pinner took a wicket apiece.
In reply County were on the ropes at 64-6 from 10.4 overs but a splendid 7th wicket stand between Michael Burgess (trialist) and James Sykes all but saw them home. The pair added 62 for the 7th wicket to take County within seven runs of victory.
Burgess made a superb undefeated 64 from 49 balls, his 50 (4x4) from 41 balls. Sykes, watchfully and sensibly, moved to four from 18 balls, before taking seamer Sanderson for consecutive boundaries in the 16th over.
In the 19th over Sykes blasted spinner Bulcock for 4-2-4-6-2 before holing out off the last ball of the over for 33 from 29 balls. Freckingham ensured there were no further mishaps, and ably supported the belligerent Burgess as the pair took 11 off the last over. Burgess saw County home by three wickets with a scampered two off the last ball.
In game 2, Sykes captained County, Vishal Tripathi winning the toss for Unicorns and electing to bat. Unicorns knocked up 129-9 from their 20 overs with Connor Harvey picking up three wickets, Pinner 2 wickets, and Liam Hurt, Freckingham and Aadil Ali claiming a wicket each.
Leicestershire got off to a reasonable start being 21-1 off 2.5 overs but could not capitalise on this and lost wickets regularly. The team was dismissed for just 100 and lost by 29 runs. All six Unicorns bowlers used picking up wickets, Freckingham’s 29 being the highlight for Leicestershire.
Sincere thanks to all at Loughborough Town CC for all the hard work put in to host the two T20 matches.
