Spinners star as Foxes make it four from four
Thu 20 Jul 2017
NatWest T20 Blast Matchday 4: Durham Jets v Leicestershire Foxes
RESULT | Leicestershire Foxes (2 points) beat Durham Jets by 27 runs
REACTION | Head Coach Pierre de Bruyn spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae after the win, the interview is available HERE
REPORT | The Foxes produced another stunning bowling performance to claim a fourth successive NatWest T20 Blast victory, this time against Durham Jets in front of the Sky television cameras.
Leicestershire defended a score of 147 against Birmingham Bears at the weekend and had three fewer runs to play with at Emirates Riverside. The attack produced the goods once again to restrict the Jets to just 117-8.
Spin twins Callum Parkinson (4-0-20-3) and Colin Ackermann (4-0-22-2) were outstanding while seamers Clint McKay (4-0-26-2), Mat Pillans (4-0-26-1), Cameron Delport (3-0-15-0) and Gavin Griffiths (1-0-7-0) also had a stranglehold on the Jets.
County earlier had to settle for a total of 144 for eight. They were going great guns as Luke Ronchi (32 off 22) shared quickfire stands of 39 and 43 for the first two wickets with Delport (29 off 21) and Mark Cosgrove (33 off 28) respectively.
However, a position of strength at 82-1 in the ninth over became 123-8 after 18 as Paul Collingwood (4-0-24-4), Ryan Pringle (4-0-22-2) and Adam Hickey (3-0-11-1) took the pace off to devastating effect. It was a tactic that would also work well for the Foxes.
Leicestershire Foxes were unchanged for a fourth game in a row and were batting first after Paul Coughlin won the toss.
Delport collected four boundaries from his first six deliveries, including three trademark powerful strokes down the ground, while Ronchi permeated the gap between extra and mid-off to collect his first four.
The left-hander smashed the fifth boundary of the innings through mid-wicket in the fourth over but fell in the next, chipping Chris Rushworth to Collingwood at backward point.
Cosgrove guided his first delivery down to vacant third man for four and Ronchi cracked through cover point as the Foxes moved to 55 for 1 after the powerplay.
The duo each pulled short balls from James Weighell to the fence in the seventh, and Ronchi sent off-spinner Pringle’s second delivery through the hands of Hickey at backward point to collect his fourth boundary.
Cosgrove lofted Collingwood’s first delivery to the vacant third man boundary but the all-rounder was to claim four for 20 from that point, including the key wicket of Ronchi. He was caught by Pringle at deep mid-wicket before Collingwood’s opening over was completed.
Ackermann and Cosgrove each cleared the fielder at extra cover, but though the 100 came up in the 12th over off a leg-side wide from Pringle, the number four batsman overbalanced in the same instance and Stuart Poynter whipped off the bails.
Another batsman was dismissed without further addition as Eckersley (0 off 2) lofted Pringle to Michael Richardson at long-off, and although Hickey saw Cosgrove put down by Coughlin at long-off on 32, four more wickets fell in a cluster.
‘Keeper Lewis Hill (9 off 16) stepped across and hit the ball on to his stumps before Cosgrove was held by Graham Clark at deep mid-wicket in the same Collingwood over.
Hickey then had Tom Wells (1 off 4) stumped by Poynter, and although McKay hit the first boundary for 39 balls, the skipper was caught on the boundary at long-off to become Collingwood’s fourth victim.
It was left to Pillans - who cracked a couple of fours in scoring 15 not out off 12 balls - and Parkinson (3* off 4) to see out the innings, something they did effectively in sharing 21 off the final twelve deliveries.
The Foxes needed a good start and McKay put the Foxes on the board with the very first delivery as Hickey (0 off 1) slashed to Delport at backward point. Parkinson very nearly claimed a wicket with his second ball from the Lumley End as Richardson offered a sharp return catch but the chance did not stick.
Ackermann then struck twice within the space of his first three balls as Clark (3 off 7) smacked a short ball straight to Hill at deep mid-wicket before Richardson (11 off 13) was bowled to leave the Jets at 15 for three.
The last ball of the powerplay was struck for six by Arshad over the outstretched hand of Wells at long-off to take the score to 27-3 but a fourth wicket went down in the next offering as Parkinson, now operating from the Finchale End, bowled Jack Burnham (9 off 14) around his legs.
Delport’s opening over cost just five singles and Parkinson then struck for a second time as dangerman Collingwood (5 off 7) chipped straight to Wells at long-on.
The Jets were in all sorts of trouble at 43 for 5 after ten overs and although Arshad and Coughlin shared 30, the rate had escalated. Parkinson returned to claim his third wicket, pushing one through to bowl Arshad for 27 (off 24).
By the end of Parkinson's brilliant spell the Jets required 70 off 30 balls. It was to prove a bridge too far despite some lusty blows from Coughlin (42 not out off 33) and Poynter (15 off 14), who added 32 for the seventh wicket.
The ‘keeper was caught at deep mid-wicket by Hill off McKay before Pillans castled Pringle (0 off 1) as the Foxes saw things through comfortably.
Leicestershire Foxes can now look forward to their first game at home tomorrow as reigning champions Northants Steelbacks visit the Fischer County Ground. Tickets are selling fast - so don't miss your chance to see the Foxes in action!
TEAM | Ronchi (wk), Delport, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Eckersley, Hill, Wells, Pillans, Parkinson, McKay (capt), Griffiths.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 4-0-26-2, Parkinson 4-0-20-3, Ackermann 4-0-22-2, Pillans 4-0-26-1, Delport 3-0-15-0, Griffiths 1-0-7-0.
* Thanks to John Mallett for the photograph of Callum Parkinson bowling at Worcestershire.
