Records tumble in astonishing game at New Road
Tue 29 May 2018
RESULT | Royal London One-Day Cup game 5: Worcestershire Rapids 380 for 4 beat Leicestershire Foxes 376 for 4 by 6 wickets
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Head Coach Paul Nixon spoke to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae after the game
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
POINTS | Worcestershire Rapids 2, Leicestershire Foxes 0
REPORT | Leicestershire Foxes’ batsmen were in brilliant form but Callum Ferguson hit a sensational 192 on debut to lead Worcestershire Rapids to victory as records tumbled in a classic Royal London One-Day Cup game.
The Foxes posted 376 for 4 at Blackfinch New Road, the club’s record List A score against another county, beating the 363 for 7 totalled against Warwickshire last season.
Paul Horton (79) and Ben Raine, who posted a career-best 83, shared the best partnership for any wicket in List A cricket against Worcestershire Rapids, while Mark Cosgrove (70) and Colin Ackermann (71*) also recorded swift half-centuries.
The second wicket alliance of 131 between Horton and Raine was two runs better than the tally that openers Trevor Ward and Virender Sehwag compiled in 2003 at Oakham School, a venue the Foxes are returning to for the game against Lancashire CCC on Thursday.
Ferguson, however, was in amazing form, scoring the highest individual total for Worcestershire off 143 balls (21x4, 5x6) as the leaders produced their biggest chase in List A cricket. The fact that every Leicestershire CCC player shook Ferguson's hand upon his dismissal spoke volumes of both the quality of the innings and the Foxes' sportsmanship.
The Foxes showed one change to the team that lost to Yorkshire Vikings as Gavin Griffiths returned after being rested. He came in for Richard Jones, who dislocated a finger in the outfield on Sunday.
Cameron Delport (20, 24b) started with intent, hitting a brace of straight sixes in a positive opening stand of 46 with Horton before being bowled by Ed Barnard in the eighth over.
An entertaining partnership developed between Horton and Raine with the skipper playing the ball around nicely and Raine given full licence to go for his strokes. Raine struck four early boundaries as the Foxes raced to 69 for 1 off the powerplay, and the 100 came up in the 15th over.
Horton collected seven well-timed boundaries, including a terrific on-drive, in progressing to a stylish 50 off 44 balls, while Raine clattered a six over mid-wicket to move to a hard-hit 50 from 46 deliveries.
The 100-run stand came up from 91 balls before the duo passed a couple of landmarks. The alliance became a second wicket best against the Pears, beating the 114 shared by David Gower and Chris Balderstone in 1981, and then became the highest for any Foxes wicket in this fixture.
Both were dismissed either side of the 30-over mark with Raine (76b, 8x4, 2x6) held at short mid-wicket off Barnard and Horton (79, 80b, 8x4) feathering Moeen Ali to ‘keeper Ben Cox.
Cosgrove (70, 49b, 5x4, 3x6) and Ackermann (71*, 57b, 6x4, 1x6) kept the scoreboard moving with the left-hander hitting two fours and a trio of huge sixes in scoring a second successive 50 from just 39 balls.
Their 100-run alliance came up off just 66 balls but Barnard ended Cosgrove’s thrilling knock shortly afterwards as the batsman walked across his stumps and flicked Barnard to Pat Brown at backward square-leg.
Ackermann sent a rasping cover drive for four before producing a pick-up for six in the 46th over to become the Foxes' fourth half-centurion, a landmark that came off 43 balls (3x4, 1x6).
All-rounder Wells added an explosive 32 off 16 balls (1x4, 2x6), including sending the final ball of the innings for a mighty straight maximum, as the duo added an unbroken 75 from just 38 balls for the fourth wicket.
Raine got the Foxes off to the best possible start when Moeen (0, 3b) struck to Ackermann in the gully before Joe Clarke and Ferguson played some excellent strokes in a stand worth 140.
Ferguson scored 50 off 44 balls (6x4, 1x6), the stand then moved into three figures, and Clarke registered his half-century from 51 deliveries (6x4, 2x6).
A breakthrough was provided by Ackermann, who had Clarke (62, 61b) caught at deep mid-wicket in the 22nd over but Ferguson moved to a hundred from 87 balls (12x4, 2x6).
With Mitchell offering superb support with 50 off just 29 deliveries (8x4), the Rapids kept chipping away at the target. Neil Dexter then provided a much-needed wicket as Mitchell holed out to Delport at deep mid-wicket, ending a third wicket stand of 88 in 9.5 overs.
It stemmed the flow of runs for a period but Ferguson was soon finding the fence again, including a six and four in the 38th over, as he raced to 150 from 120 balls (17x4, 3x6). The target was 80 off ten overs, so the Foxes were in with a shout, but Ferguson was not to be denied.
Ferguson posted his career-best score with a fourth six and surpassed compatriot Tom Moody’s unbeaten 180 to become the holder of the Pears’ highest List A individual score. He was eventually dismissed by Varun Aaron just eight shy of a double-century; it took a brilliant catch by 'keeper Ned Eckersley, tumbling to his right, to put paid to the innings.
Brett D’Oliveira (54*, 47b), who progressed to 50 from 45 balls (5x4) as part of an important 133-run fourth wicket alliance with Ferguson, got the Rapids home alongside Ross Whiteley (6*, 2b).
TEAM | Delport, Horton (capt), Eckersley (wk), Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dexter, Wells, Raine, Parkinson, Griffiths, Aaron.
FIGURES | Aaron 10-0-84-1, Raine 9-0-64-1, Griffiths 7-0-55-0, Parkinson 10-0-67-0, Delport 2.2-0-26-0, Ackermann 5-0-40-1, Dexter 4-0-36-1.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ben Raine batting.
* Our next Royal London One-Day Cup fixture is the return of county cricket to Oakham School with the fixture against Lancashire on Thursday, May 31. Ticket prices are: £12 adults, £3 under 16s and £27 for a family ticket (2 adults & 3 under 16s). All of these are for advance purchases, with the prices held until 4pm on Wednesday, May 30. Tickets can be purchased HERE
