Powerful Black Caps beat youthful Foxes
Sat 6 Jun 2015
Grant Elliott hit a sparkling century as New Zealand warmed up for the Royal London ODI series against England with an 198-run 50-over victory against Leicestershire at Grace Road.
Leicestershire did well to reduce New Zealand to 142-5 at the halfway stage, Ross Taylor being the fourth wicket to fall after scoring a quickfire 77 off 62 balls.
But Luke Ronchi and Elliott, already well-known to Leicestershire supporters, scored 106 not out apiece in putting on a stunning unbroken 221 off 25.1 overs for the sixth wicket to take the score up to 373-5.
Atif Sheikh was the pick of the attack with 3-49, including the wickets of openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill, while off-spinners Rob Sayer (7-0-46-0) and Umar Akmal (7-0-40-0) also impressed.
Opener Angus Robson continued his tremendous week with a fine 67 but Leicestershire lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out for 175.
Earlier in the day, Eckersley was named as Leicestershire captain for the first time while there were Leicestershire List A debuts for Akmal, Aadil Ali and Sayer.
McCullum won the toss and elected to bat first and he had an all-action innings. The skipper slammed a couple of consecutive fours in the second over before being dropped by Eckersley at mid-off off Ollie Freckingham.
Sheikh then ended his innings with a peach of a delivery, McCullum nicking behind to Lewis Hill having made 9. The Foxes’ impressive start continued as Williamson was forced into a false shot but he survived as a nick off Freckingham went between Hill and Robson at first slip.
Left arm paceman Sheikh then bowled fellow dangerous opener Guptill for four with the Black Caps now 35-2 in the 7th over at that stage.
Kane Williamson had already hit a couple of nice boundaries at that stage and he went on to regroup stylishly alongside Taylor. The duo put on 87 for the third wicket, with two consecutive maximums from Taylor recording a superb 40-ball half-century (3x4, 3x6).
It was always going to take something special to break the stand and Eckersley provided it off the bowling of Tom Wells. The batsman drove fiercely to extra cover when on 45 (58 balls) and Eckersley took a magnificent diving one-handed effort. The catch was so good that Williamson shook the fielder’s hand as he made his way off the field.
That brought Leicestershire’s NatWest T20 Blast overseas signing Elliott to the crease and Taylor kept the foot on the gas while his partner settled at the wicket. Taylor smashed 18 off four successive balls in the 23rd but Wells held his nerve and took his wicket with the final ball of the over as Taylor edged behind to Hill.
A fifth wicket arrived when the impressive Sheikh trapped Mitchell Santner (4) in front before Elliott and Ronchi, who shared a world record stand for New Zealand earlier this year, again combined to devastating effect.
The duo each hit three boundaries as the score passed 200 in the 33rd over and Ronchi went on to record 50 from 40 balls with seven fours and a six struck in the milestone. Elliott then progressed to his own well-constructed half-century from 51 deliveries (5x4).
New Zealand’s 300 came up in the 45th over and Ronchi went on to record a superb 71-ball century that included 13 fours and two sixes. The Kiwis kept their foot on the gas and the total passed 350. Elliott took just 27 balls to move from 50 to 100, the milestone being recorded courtesy of a six off the penultimate ball of the innings (12x4, 2x6, 78 balls).
It was always going to be a big ask to chase 374 and that task became greater as Leicestershire lost a couple of early wickets. Lewis Hill (11) dragged Mitchell McClenaghan onto his wicket and Eckersley (4) edged Matt Henry to Taylor at slip.
Robson and Akmal played a number of terrific shots in an attractive stand worth 45 but the Pakistan international fell for 26 off 22 (5x4) after cutting McClenaghan to Guptill at backward point.
The fourth wicket fell when Neil Pinner (8) became McClenaghan’s third victim, this time courtesy of a catch by Santner on the square leg boundary. Leicestershire lost another wicket as Wells was run out for two before the opener progressed to a 69-ball half-century that included nine fours.
Robson continued to lose partners as Ali (4) was stumped by Ronchi and Freckingham (3) was held at long-on by Elliott, both off the slow left arm of Santner. Robson’s resistance was ended by Ben Wheeler, who bowled the opener, before a spirited alliance between Sheikh and Sayer, who scored 22 apiece.
The duo put on 35 before Sheikh holed out to Guptill off Williamson for an entertaining innings that included two fours and a six. James Sykes (0) then edged McClenaghan, who ended with excellent figures of 4-31, to Williamson in the cordon as the match came to an end.
