Parkinson: "Foxes fans can keep us firing"

Leicestershire spinner Callum Parkinson feels that the Foxes fans can have a massive impact during the first NatWest Blast T20 home fixture of the season against Northants Steelbacks on Friday (6.30pm start).

County face the defending champions having won their first four matches in the competition at Lancashire, Worcestershire, Birmingham and Durham - the Foxes' best sequence of victories since they last lifted the trophy, back in 2011.

Parkinson, who won the man-of-the-match award after taking 3 for 20 at Emirates Riverside, says the players are in confident mood after completing the quartet of away victories and are looking forward to being back at the Fischer County Ground.

“Some of the guys have yet to experience a NatWest T20 Blast night at home, so hopefully the Foxes fans will be in the mood to show them what the Fischer County Ground atmosphere under lights is all about,” said Parkinson.

“We know that ticket sales have gone well and everybody is looking forward to the first home game, so everything is in place for a good night.

“To be four from four has been a massive effort, we've played some really good cricket, batsmen have fired when we've needed them to, and the bowling group has executed plans well.

“To be sitting on top of the North Group ladder is a testament to how hard we've worked, and while there have been some brilliant individual efforts, everybody has contributed.”

For Parkinson, the experience of the senior players has been invaluable to he and the younger cricketers in the changing room.

He said: “Colin Ackermann has played a couple of great innings, Mat Pillans has done well with bat and ball, Luke Ronchi and Cameron Delport have given us some great starts at the top of the order. And of course Clint McKay has both captained us superbly and is the leading wicket-taker in the competition.

“[Luke] Ronchi is a serious cricketer, but also a really good guy – he's brought a calmness to the dressing room and out on the field too.

“Luke [Ronchi] has played a lot of T20 cricket, international and otherwise, and his know-how in certain situations, along with that of guys like Clint [McKay], Colin [Ackermann], Cozzie [Mark Cosgrove] and Cameron has really helped the younger guys like myself and Gavin Griffiths and Mat [Pillans] find our feet.

“Having Luke behind the stumps is fantastic for me, not just because he's an outstanding 'keeper, but because of his advice on things like angles in the field. 

“He knows what works, and as an exceptional batsman himself, knows what kind of deliveries a batter doesn't want to face in certain situations. He's been a tremendous signing, and there's a really big score coming from him soon."

Parkinson’s slow left arm spin has been a key feature of the Foxes attack; his 2 for 28 on debut at Lancashire included the key wickets of England duo Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone, and the performance at Durham helped the team to defend their score of 144 for 8.

“I can only be happy with the ways things have gone, for me and for the team,” said Parkinson. 

“Clint [McKay] said at the start of the tournament every bowler has to be ready to bowl at any time in an innings, but that spin is going to play a big part, and so it's proved. If you can just turn one in your first over batsmen will be slightly more careful about taking risks.

“But in terms of qualification the job’s not even half done, there's a lot of good teams and players in the north group. We are going into the Northants game at home four from four, with a big, noisy crowd behind us for the first time, and we need to capitalise on the momentum that we have.”

Leicestershire Foxes are facing a quick turnaround after a long journey back from Durham Jets. Batsman Mark Pettini has been added to the 14 players that travelled up to the north-east, so the Foxes have named a 15-man squad for the opening home game.

Foxes (from): McKay (capt), Aadil, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Delport, Eckersley, Griffiths, Hill, Klein, Parkinson, Pettini, Pillans, Ronchi, Sayer, Wells.