Running Foxes make it back-to-back wins in T20 Vitality Blast

BLAST 7 | Derbyshire Falcons 132 v Leicestershire Foxes 174 for eight “ Foxes win by 42 runs

SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE

POINTS | Derbyshire Falcons 0, Leicestershire Foxes 2

REPORT | Louis Kimber recorded his maiden Vitality Blast half-century as the Running Foxes ended their innings with a flourish to finish on a competitive 174 for eight.

The bowling attack, as per Sunday, responded once again by claiming all 10 Falcons wickets for 132 runs, leading the Running Foxes to back-to-back victories in the 2021 Vitality Blast.

The news from the middle of the Incora County Ground was that the hosts won the toss and decided to field, leaving the Running Foxes to open the batting in Derbyshire.

Scott Steel and Josh Inglis got the game underway with Logan van Beek bowling the first over of the evening, which the Foxes claimed six off, thanks to the opening boundary of the evening from Steel.

Coincidentally, with Leicestershire getting through the first over with all 10 wickets in hand, Logan van Beek’s streak of taking a wicket inside the first over for the past 6 games in a row, came to an end. 

The powerplay came to an end for Leicestershire with Steel’s second maximum of the evening bringing up the Running Foxes’ fifty.

Earlier in the sixth over, Inglis guided a Hudson-Prentice delivery straight to the hands of Godleman at mid-off and departed for a 12-ball 11.

Steel was looking in good touch in the middle, alongside Lilley who claimed his first boundary of the evening by upper-cutting McKerr for six.

Lilley’s wicket was soon up though, in the eighth over, as he looked to hook Scrimshaw away but was caught on the rope by Came for 9(8b).

The Foxes reached the halfway mark on 76 for four after Ackermann posted his first boundary of the evening off Scrimshaw.

Patel’s wicket was up with the first ball of the next over, bowled by Critchley for 0(1b). The Derbyshire man brought the over to a close with the second wicket from it, as Hill 1(3b) was caught by Hudson-Prentice at long on.

The following overs saw the Derbyshire attack put the squeeze on the Foxes' sixth wicket partnership, holding them to 32 runs from four overs, with just two boundaries being posted.

With five overs left to play, the Running Foxes sat on 112 for five.

Kimber began to find the boundary rope in the eighteenth over with back-to-back boundaries to help Leicestershire claim 16 from it, as the duo looked to finish with a flourish.

After posting a boundary from the first ball of the penultimate over, Ackermann made his way back to the pavilion after sending one du Plooy’s way off the bowling of van Beek for a 33-ball 37.

Ben Mike came in to join Kimber as the latter ended the penultimate over with his third four.

Mike and Kimber started the final over on the front foot as Mike drove Hudson-Prentice straight back over his head for six.

Kimber then posted back-to-back maximums to bring up his maiden Vitality Blast half-century, coming from 27 balls, including three fours and three sixes.

The Running Foxes man went for his third straight six off Hudson-Prentice but was caught on the rope by van Beek and departed for 53(28b).

Mike then joined him back in the pavilion after he was caught looking to go big, this time McKerr was under the drive. Mike went for 7(3b), as the Running Foxes ended on 174 for eight, leaving the hosts a chase of 175.

Parkinson opened the bowling superbly, restricting the hosts to just six off. Naveen also got his four underway in superb fashion with two overs for seven runs inside the first six.

However, Ackermann and Griffiths fell to expensive overs from the hosts, culminating in the Falcons posting 55 without loss after the powerplay.

The eighth over ensued and culminated in a double-wicket over for the Foxes, and a wicket-maiden over for Parkinson.

First, the former-Derbyshire man bowled Came for 40(31b) before Godleman pushed one out towards Ackermann at square leg who fired in a direct hit towards the batsman’s end where Reece (19, 12b) was heading towards. The direct hit caught the batsman yards out of his crease to claim the second wicket in the over.

At the halfway point, the Falcons sat on 71 for two, following Steel’s second consecutive over of five runs conceded.

Five wickets then fell in quick succession for the hosts, firstly, Godleman went (12, 16b) as Steel pinned him infront in the twelfth over.

The thirteenth over began and ended with wickets as Ackermann claimed two from his final over the night. Firstly, du Plooy fell for 11(14), caught by Kimber at long on. The duo then linked up again as this time Kimber was underneath Critchley’s drive this time, to take the pouch at long on for 1(4b).

The fifteenth over saw Hudson-Prentice go, as he guided on straight to Lilley at deep mid-wicket who took the catch for 6(7b), as Steel claimed his second of the match.

Another over and another wicket followed as Parkinson went through the gate of Thomson to clean bowl him for 10(5b). This wicket brought Parkinson’s incredible spell to an end with figures of 4-1-23-2.

The first ball of the eighteenth over brought up the Falcons’ eighth wicket as Griffiths seamed one back in to deceive van Beek and bowl him for 3(4b).

Two fours and a six from the remaining five balls of the over from Guest saw the Falcons onto 131 for eight, requiring 44 for the win.

Two wickets in the penultimate over then brought the game to a close, as Naveen claimed two for the match.

Firstly, the Foxes’ two overseas combined to dismiss McKerr for 1(3b) as Naveen found the edge and Inglis took the pouch.

Two balls later and the game came to a close after Guest guided a high pull shot to Hill on the boundary as the Foxes man took the catch to dismiss the final batsman for 27(15b).

The Running Foxes made it back-to-back victories after defeating Derbyshire Falcons by 42 runs.

FIGURES | van Beek 4-0-37-1, McKerr 3-0-32-0, Thomson 2-0-13-0, Hudson-Prentice 3-0-36-3, Scrimshaw 4-0-30-0, Critchley 4-0-23-0

Parkinson 4-1-23-2, Ackermann 4-0-26-2, Naveen 3.4-0-17-2, Griffiths 3-0-42-1, Steel 4-0-23-2

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

FALCONS | Came, Reece, Godleman (C), du Plooy, Critchley, Hudson-Prentice, Guest (wk), Thomson, van Beek, McKerr, Scrimshaw

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