O'Brien guides Foxes to first win

REPORT | By Richard Rae

Niall O’Brien hit a terrific unbeaten 47 off 27 balls to guide Leicestershire Foxes to a first NatWest T20 Blast win of the season by seven wickets against Derbyshire Falcons.

The Ireland wicket-keeper hit five fours and one maximum in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 69 with New Zealand international Grant Elliott (21 not out) to see the Foxes beyond the Falcons' 163-6 in gloomy conditions in front of a big crowd at Grace Road.

Leicestershire made one change from the opening NatWest T20 Blast game at Lancashire Lightning as Atif Sheikh came in for James Sykes.

Foxes skipper Mark Cosgrove chose to bowl first after winning the toss and Derbyshire suffered an early blow when Hashim Amla was held by Rob Taylor off the bowling of Clint McKay for just eight, an outstanding catch two-handed low down running in from the deep square leg boundary.

Wes Durston and Chesney Hughes took the Falcons score past 50, but Foxes’ off-spinner Jigar Naik (4-0-23-2) picked up the wickets of Shiv Thakor and then Scott Elstone, both caught behind by Niall O’Brien, off consecutive deliveries.

Tom Poynton also fell to the off-spinner, held by Tom Wells at long-on, but Hughes, improvising cleverly inbetween clubbing blows over the leg-side, went to his 50, though not before he was dropped by Clint McKay, the Australian failing to hold a skier off his own bowling.

Hughes was eventually caught by a diving Elliott at backward square leg for an excellent 59, made off 44 balls with five fours and three sixes, from the bowling of the economical Ben Raine (4-0-23-1). It put paid to an important stand of 66 with Billy Godleman, who struck two fours and two sixes in his 38 not out (33 balls).

A target of just over eight runs an over allowed Leicestershire to pace their reply, and although Cosgrove (8) went quickly, lofting Ben Cotton straight to Amla at mid-off, Eckersley hit 39 off 33 balls in a partnership of 66 with Kevin O’Brien.

His dismissal brought Elliott to the wicket, and despite the increasingly bad light, Leicestershire’s overseas signing played with calm assurance. After Kevin O’Brien (31) holed to Greg Cork at backward square leg, his older brother played himself in before striking Mark Footitt high back over his head for a huge straight six.

“It’s always good to celebrate a win, and yes, hopefully it will lift everybody connected with the club,” said Cosgrove.

“Jigar Naik changed the game with his spell in their innings, we took our catches – which we haven’t always been doing this season – and then the batsmen did their job. The aim now is to take the lift and momentum into next week’s T20s and then the Championship.”

Bowling figures for the Foxes: Sheikh 2-0-28-0, Raine 4-0-23-1, McKay 4-0-28-1, Taylor 2-0-18-0, K O'Brien 3-0-27-1, Naik 4-0-23-3, Elliott 1-0-10-0.

* Thanks to everybody for their fantastic support this evening. Those who came tonight can buy their tickets to the game against Durham Jets next Thursday for the price of £10 adults, £1 for under 16s and £20 for a family of two adults and three under 16s.

The ticket office will be open from 10am-2pm on Saturday morning so please call Membership and Ticket Sales Executive Jack Bradley on 0116 245 2401 or email jackbradley@leicestershireccc.co.uk for more details.

Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph of Niall and Grant.