Pre-season Diary 2016 - Part 2

Leicestershire CCC players, coaches and backroom staff are currently in Dubai for their 2016 pre-season tour. The players are being put through their paces in the nets and in a series of fixtures. We'll keep you updated with the latest from the tour, and the second part of the tour diary is available here: 

Thursday, March 17

Leicestershire won for the first time on the pre-season tour to Dubai after an excellent all-round performance against Yorkshire Vikings.

There were good contributions throughout the side and Lewis Hill (58* off 39 balls) saw the Foxes home with a fine display of batting.

Mark Pettini won the toss and invited Yorkshire to bat first at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai and they were restricted by a sharp performance in the field.

The Vikings posted 134-9 from their 20 overs with Gary Ballance top-scoring with 38. There was a good disciplined display with the ball from the Foxes with Wayne White leading the way after claiming 3-21 from four overs.

Young trio Rob Sayer (4-0-24-2), Zak Chappell (4-0-20-1) and James Sykes (4-0-27-1) also bowled full allocations and Aadil Ali (2-0-15-1) chipped in with a wicket.

The Foxes were 38-3 in reply but Pettini (33) and Hill steadied the ship and Tom Wells (21) also made an important contribution.

The game was another good workout against a good Yorkshire side and the Foxes now have two T20 games against MCC Universities tomorrow.

Leicestershire: Pettini, Horton, Robson, Ali, Hill, Wells, Raine, Chappell, Sykes, White, Sayer

Friday March 18

Leicestershire recorded a 47-run victory in their first T20 game against MCC Universities at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Zak Chappell was the star man with both bat and ball. The young all-rounder added three wickets to a brilliant knock of 49 not out compiled off just 29 deliveries (5x4, 2x6).

The Foxes put a competitive score 155-3 on the board thanks to some good contributions throughout the top order.

Opener Paul Horton scored 38 (32 balls), Angus Robson made 17 off 9 balls batting at number three, and Wayne White (43* off 45 balls) and Chappell (49*) continued the good work with an unbroken stand of 74.

MCC Universities lost regular wickets in reply and closed on 108 all out. Tom Wells led the way for the Foxes with a four-wicket haul, Chappell claimed a three-for, James Sykes and Ben Raine took a wicket apiece, and there was also a run out.

The Foxes were edged out in the last over of the second game after posting an identical amount of runs. Wells (60*), Ben Raine (30), Lewis Hill (24) and Aadil Ali (22*) all batted well in a total of 155-4 but MCC Universities won after a fine knock from Marc Lazar (44 off 20 balls).

Leicestershire's wicket-takers were Raine (4-1-27-2), Sayer (4-0-24-1), Aadil Ali (2-0-17-1) and Charlie Shreck (2-0-18-1)

Leicestershire: Robson, Horton, Hill, Wells, Ali, White, Chappell, Raine, Sayer, Sykes, Shreck.