Ronchi: "Let's stay positive"

The halfway point of a competition is always a good time to take stock – and batsman Luke Ronchi feels that the Foxes are in decent shape as they look to progress to the knockout stages in NatWest T20 Blast.

Frustration has been a theme during the last three matches at the Fischer County Ground with rain having a big say in the Friday night fixtures against Northants Steelbacks and Durham Jets while Tuesday’s game against Birmingham Bears saw a 30-run loss.

But there were huge positives despite the tight setback to the Jets, not least the fact that Ronchi smashed the fastest 50 in Leicestershire’s proud T20 history. 

His breathtaking 16-ball effort included nine fours and a brace of maximums. It took something equally special from Paul Coughlin and Paul Collingwood to overhaul the Foxes commanding seven-over score of 88 for 2.

The Foxes remain in a good position having banked eight points from seven games and Ronchi therefore thinks that it is important to stay in a positive frame of mind ahead of tomorrow’s game against Derbyshire Falcons (2.30pm start).

“It’s always nice to make runs, and you want to get them as quick as you can, in twenty-twenty or seven-seven, if that’s what you call it!” said Ronchi.

“We were disappointed to lose but when it is seven overs a side, it can come down to a ball or two. The game comes and goes pretty quickly. It is just the nature of the game that people take risks and it can win games.

“With all of the other results being abandonments on Friday night, it doesn’t really hurt us that much. 

“We were four wins from four at the start, we’re only halfway through the competition now and in a very good position, so it’s important that everybody stays positive – from spectators to the players.”

As well as having a healthy points tally, the Foxes possess a game in hand on most of their rivals in a tight North Division, including tomorrow’s opponents.

Ronchi has seen enough in his distinguished career to know that results will fluctuate in NatWest T20 Blast. Only four points separate the top seven sides, and given that teams are generally taking points off each other, the group will continue to be open.

“There’s a tendency to think that ‘we have to win, we have to win, we have to win’ but although we want to win every game we play, you don’t have to win every game [in the group stage],” said Ronchi. 

“If we won four out of the last seven, like we did in the first half, then that gets us to 16 points, which would give us a good chance of qualifying. 

“It doesn’t matter who the wins come against - or even when they come - you just want momentum at some point. It will click and we will start to win again.

“You have to remember that the opposition are still allowed to bowl good balls and hit good balls, but if we can execute our skills the best we can then we will win more than we lose."

Ronchi, who is part of an unchanged 14-man squad, said that the Foxes are now ready for a quick return to NatWest T20 Blast action with the short trip to the 3aaa County Ground.

He said: “It’s the nature of T20 cricket to go bang-bang-bang in terms of fixtures, you can erase what’s happened in the last game or work on it pretty quickly. 

“We know it will be another interesting game against Derbyshire. Both teams have played some good cricket and it will be another exciting match.”

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

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photo of Luke Ronchi batting.