Raine reigns in Foxes' biggest ever T20 win

RESULT | Vitality Blast game 4: Leicestershire Foxes 229 for 5 beat Birmingham Bears 129 by 100 runs

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo

REACTION | Ben Raine spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Rob Jones after the game

HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season

POINTS | Birmingham Bears 0, Leicestershire Foxes 2

REPORT | All-rounder Ben Raine was in magnificent form on a night where records went left, right and centre in Leicestershire Foxes’ sensational 100-run Vitality Blast win against Birmingham Bears.

Raine posted both the fastest ever Foxes hundred in Vitality Blast (41 balls, 8x4, 8x6) and the county’s highest individual score of 113 (46b, 8x4, 10x6), while a total of 229 for five represented the club’s largest in the competition.

Mark Cosgrove (42, 31b) and Raine - who recorded his career-best score in any format - shared 142 in just 66 balls, which was significant in terms of T20 records; it was County's highest third wicket partnership, the second biggest stand for any Leicestershire CCC wicket, and the best Foxes alliance for any wicket against Birmingham.

After Raine picked up two key early wickets, slow left arm spinner Callum Parkinson collected a career-best four for 20 as the Foxes recorded their largest margin of runs victory in T20 history, beating the 86-run against Derbyshire in 2006.

It was the second away game in succession in which the Foxes rewrote history following the thrilling success at Northants Steelbacks in the opening game of the tournament.

There was one change to the Foxes line-up as Ned Eckersley returned from injury for Lewis Hill, but the team was batting first for the first time after being inserted by former Fox Grant Elliott.

Cameron Delport (27, 14b) and Neil Dexter (14, 11b) opened the batting and got the Foxes off to a good start. Delport was in particularly aggressive mood as he hit boundaries off each of the opening three overs.

The positive opening was dented somewhat as the Foxes lost two wickets in the space of five balls. Delport was the first wicket to fall, pulling Oliver Hannon-Dalby straight to Sam Hain at deep square-leg.

Dexter then followed his opening partner; in attempting to drive Henry Brookes through the overs he instead picked out Dominic Sibley, leaving the Foxes at 48 for two.

The wicket of Dexter saw a promotion in the order for Raine, and in typical fashion he belted two of his three balls for boundaries to help keep the momentum.

Raine and Cosgrove added 50 in fewer than five overs, with Cosgrove taking Colin de Grandhomme for 16 off an over which included a maximum and two fours. The boundaries continued to flow as Sibley’s first ball was dispatched over the fence by Raine with his trademark slog-sweep.

Birmingham skipper Elliott bought himself into the attack, but Raine showed his former teammate no respect as he pulled him over mid-wicket for six more. Raine flew to his half-century by striking Sibley for two consecutive maximums and then two successive fours.

The second six bought up the recently capped all-rounder’s landmark having faced just 21 balls (2x4, 5x6). It was the joint third fastest 50 in the competition for the Foxes, and Raine then raced to 80 from just 29 balls, showing some of the cleanest striking you will see.

Cosgrove fell when the stand was within eight runs of becoming the second alliance to pass 150 in the Foxes’ proud T20 history. He had been an extremely good foil to his fellow left-hander.

Raine was joined by Colin Ackermann, who was at the crease when Raine became the club’s sixth centurion in the format. He followed in the footsteps of Darren Maddy, Jim Allenby, Brad Hodge, Greg Smith and Delport, who scored the previous Foxes ton in the last group game of 2017 at Trent Bridge.

After Raine took his tally to a mammoth ten sixes, the duo selflessly fell in pursuit of more quick runs. Mohammad Nabi (11*, 10b) and Eckersley (10*, 6b) then saw the Foxes beyond their previous highest score of 221 for three posted against Yorkshire Vikings back in 2004.

Birmingham Bears came out in positive fashion and with the score at 30 without loss, Ed Pollock had 25 of the runs. His bright beginning was bought to an end by Ackermann, who bowled the batsman in his first over of the tournament.

Raine’s dream evening got better as he took two wickets in an over. His first wicket was Ian Bell (5, 4b), who misjudged a bouncer and skied it straight to Muhammad Abbas at short fine-leg, and two balls later Sam Hain (2, 6b) was dismissed when hitting a delivery straight to Zak Chappell at cover.

The Bears finished their powerplay at 59 for three, and after an uncharacteristically expensive first over Abbas returned to take a wicket with his second ball. Adam Hose (10, 5b) hit the overseas star straight to captain Ackermann at mid-off.

Dangerous batsman de Grandhomme became another chapter of Raine’s stunning story, this time the all-rounder taking a splendid catch off the bowling of Nabi.

Parkinson entered the attack in the 10^th over and his second ball was also successful. Elliott looked to use his feet against the spinner with Eckersley whipping off the bails. At the halfway point, the hosts was 85 for six.

The pair combined again as Sibley (8, 8b) became the second victim of the Eckersley-Parkinson stumping alliance.

Tim Ambrose (19, 16b) skied Parkinson straight to Nabi at point and he recorded career best T20 figures as Jeetan Patel smacked one down the throat of Dexter. The Foxes recorded an emphatic victory when Nabi took his second wicket, Brookes (9, 5b) being the final batsman to fall on a perfect evening.

TEAM | Dexter, Delport, Cosgrove, Raine, Ackermann (capt), Eckersley (wk), Nabi, Wells, Chappell, Parkinson, Abbas

FIGURES | Abbas 3-0-31-1, Nabi 2.2-0-13-2, Ackermann 1-0-7-1, Raine 3-0-28-2, Chappell 3-0-21-0, Parkinson 3-0-20-4

PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ben Raine batting tonight

* Our next Vitality Blast home game is against Lancashire Lightning on Wednesday! The best value tickets are available in advance – a family ticket for 2 adults and 3 under 16s is available for £37 in advance of the fixture. Secure your seat at the Fischer County Ground today HERE