Running Foxes fall to defeat in home opener

 BLAST 2 | Derbyshire Falcons 209 for six v Leicestershire Foxes 186 “ Falcons win by 23 runs

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Leicestershire Foxes 0, Derbyshire Falcons 2

REPORT | Derbyshire Falcons record their fifth-highest score in T20 cricket with a first innings score of 209 for six, leaving the Running Foxes requiring 210 for the win in Leicestershire.

The Running Foxes got off to a superb start, initially with Callum Parkinson conceding just three from the first over of the evening. Skipper Colin Ackermann then backed it up with an over of just six.

The first wicket of the evening came with Naveen’s first over of the day. The Afghani delivered a slower ball the enticed Harry Came into a shot that he sent high into the sky, and watched it caught safely by Will Davis at mid-on for 10(11b).

Naveen then quickly claimed his and Leicestershire’s second of the evening as he delivered yet another slower ball the deceived the batsman.

Godleman played and missed and saw the delivery clip the top of his off stump for 2(4b).

Leus du Plooy and Luis Reece then claimed 15 off Gavin Griffith’s first over of the evening to bring the Falcons’ powerplay to an end on 52 for two.

Arron Lilley opened his account in the seventh over and claimed the wicket of du Plooy (8, 7b) as Josh Inglis claimed his second dismissal as a Running Foxes after Lilley found the batsman’s edge.

Reece was still at the crease and posted his third maximum of the evening off Parkinson’s second over as the visitors claimed 13 off the eighth over.

Another six followed in the next over as the batsman moved closer to his second successive half-century.

Reece then brought up his half-century just before the halfway mark of the innings with the fifty coming from 27 balls, including three fours and four sixes.

Ackermann then had a chance to dismiss Reece, off the bowling of Davis just before the halfway point in the Falcons’ innings. The skipper was running in off the rope but couldn’t hold on to the low catch.

Falcons ended their tenth over on 90 for three with Reece leading the way.

Griffiths came in for his second over and immediately responded to Reece’s fifty, as he bowled the batsman in form for 51(29b).

Following overs from Parkinson and Naveen began to build the pressure on the partnership of Critchley and Hughes, restricting the visitors to single figures.

Parkinson then finished his allotted four overs on the front foot, ending with figures of 4-0-27-0.

The Running Foxes then conceded 39 runs from the two following overs.

Matt Critchley joined Reece in recording a half-century, bringing it up with his second six of the evening along with four fours from 33 balls.

Ben Mike’s first over of the campaign then brought a much needed wicket for the Running Foxes as Hughes (28, 21b) guided one straight to Griffiths who came in at long on to take the catch.

A final over of 24 brought the Falcon’s innings to a close on 206 for six as the visitors recorded their fifth highest score in T20 cricket. Critchley ended his innings not out on 80(45b), alongside Brooke Guest (0no, 1b).

The Running Foxes innings got off to a tough start as Scott Steel (0, 1b) guided Logan van Beek’s first delivery of the innings to Billy Godleman at mid-off.

Arron Lilley stepped up the second over, sending Thomson for three boundaries including a superbly time reverse-sweep towards the Meet for his first maximum.

Josh Inglis replied in the following over with his first boundary of the innings by sending van Beek back over his head for a one-bounce four.

The Foxes claimed 20 from the fourth over, with Inglis ramping Fynn Hudson-Prentice onto the balcony of the Pavilion to earn his first maximum of the innings.

The fifty partnership came up in the fifth over from 27 balls.

Lilley then brought up his fourth four of the innings before guiding a Cohen delivery to Reece at long-on who took the comfortable catch. Lilley departed for 29 (20b).

The Foxes’ powerplay then came to an end with the wicket of Inglis (24, 14b), caught by van Beek off Hudson-Prentice “ Leicestershire were 60-3.

Boundaries were few and far between from the following few overs, though Hill superbly ramped Reece for four from the final ball of the ninth over.

Derbyshire soon claimed their fourth wicket of the innings, as Ackermann fell to the bowling of Hughes for 19(16b).

The end of the next over saw the Foxes lose their fifth wicket with Hill being bowled by Reece for 17(15b).

Patel and Mike came together and began accelerating the rate for the Running Foxes with both batsmen going big in successive overs off the bowling of Critchley and Hughes respectively.

Patel (35, 19b) was soon back in the shed, though, as he looked to send Reece’s full toss for yet another boundary but was caught on the rope by du Plooy.

Mike (22, 15b) fell in the following over off the bowling of van Beek, caught behind by Guest.

Two wickets fell in the next over, first Naveen was caught by Came at third man looking to reverse sweep Critchley for his first boundary.

Will Davis’ stay in the middle only lasted two deliveries before Guest was on hand for the stumping as Critchley took his second in the over.

Gavin Griffiths (12, 5b) came in and looked to mount a fightback as much as he could with two fours and six off the bowling of van Beek in the penultimate over, before losing his wicket from the final ball of the over.

With the wicket of Griffiths, Derbyshire Falcons claimed their first win of the 2021 Vitality Blast campaign with a 23-run victory at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

FIGURES | Parkinson 4-0-27-0, Ackermann 3-0-30-0, Naveen 4-0-26-3, Griffiths 3-0-49-1, Lilley 2-0-14-1, Davis 2-0-27-0, Mike 2-0-30-1

van Beek 4-0-37-3, Thomson 1-0-16-0, Hudson-Prentice 2-0-25-1, Cohen 1-0-6-1, Hughes 4-0-42-1, Critchley 4-0-31-2, Reece 3-0-24-2

FOXES | Ackermann (C), Davis, Griffiths, Hill, Inglis (wk), Lilley, Mike, Naveen, Patel, Parkinson, Steel

FALCONS | Godleman*, Reece, du Plooy, Came, Critchley, Hughes, Hudson-Prentice, Guest+, Thomson, van Beek, Cohen.

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallet of Outside Off for supplying images throughout the game.

MATCH SPONSOR | We would like to thank East MidlandsReactive Maintenance Ltd., for sponsoring our Vitality Blast fixture against Derbyshire Falcons.