The final two games are important - Horton

Leicestershire CCC Captain Paul Horton said that the final two Specsavers County Championship games in the next fortnight will be crucial to the club’s plans moving forward.

The Foxes face their final home match against Durham CCC before travelling to Cardiff next Monday, and with the table so tight, results are important to secure a higher position.

But there is also more resting on the games, with Horton wanting two good performances and results to ensure everyone goes into the winter in a positive frame of mind.

Horton said: “We will focus on one ball at a time, but I think you always have to have one eye looking forward, you’re always planning ahead and how you’re going to package things up with the winter approaching. You always have to be one step ahead, as it’s the nature of professional sport.

“I’ve said for weeks and weeks that we need to be judged on where we finish. Everybody starts in the same place, but it’s all about where you finish as everyone’s journey takes a different path.

“We have been guilty of getting a little bit giddy on our lofty heights after winning a couple of games. It’s always a long season and we have been tested with injuries at the back end.

“A quarter of the [Specsavers County] Championship games are in September, so if you don’t have everyone fit then, it makes it a little bit harder. But we know now that we need to package things up a little bit differently next year, so these are all good learnings for the 2019 season.

“It’s so important that we end the season on a high note. We know that Durham will be another tough test this week.

“They just had a really good win against Sussex with Cameron Steel and Chris Rushworth putting in exceptional individual performances. They have shown good character this season and we will need to be back to our best.”

Although batting has proved difficult for the Foxes in the last few weeks, Horton acknowledges that it has been an issue affecting counties across the country – particularly for those who have home fixtures.

Three of the last four games have seen County go head-to-head with the top trio Warwickshire CCC, Kent CCC and Sussex CCC. They have been challenging but opportunities have presented themselves to young players who have come through the Academy, such as Ben Mike and David Sayer.

“We have been short in the first innings runs in games recently, but this is the time where you look around the country and most sides who have home fixtures are batting first given the conditions,” said Horton.

“We have been put under pressure by two good bowling attacks. Warwickshire managed to add a test cricketer [Chris Woakes] into their line-up, which always helps.

“But whereas they had lots of experience, we came into the Warwickshire fixture with Muhammad Abbas and Ben Mike, a very recent Academy graduate, as the only fit seam bowlers on the staff.

“We weren’t able to get a loan signing given it’s September, so we promoted Dave Sayer, who has played some Second XI games and is an Academy graduate, and Usman Arshad, who trialled over the winter and has been playing in Minor Counties and some club cricket up in Lancashire. They came into the side and offered us some balance.”

Horton is full of praise for Mike, who took consecutive career-bests with the ball against Sussex CCC before posting two successive highs with the bat versus Warwickshire CCC.

He said: “Ben is a very talented young man, he has burst on to the scene and when you do that, the game always seems to be a little bit easier. He is learning every day and will have a great opportunity to play in the coming years here. Ben is a great prospect, and credit to our coaches for producing a player like him.

“Ben has shown that he is not just a bowler. he has some good ability with the bat, and has been a shining light in these last couple of weeks, so that’s fantastic for us. He’s been a real find.”

Head Coach Paul Nixon echoed Horton's sentiments about Mike. “Ben has done brilliantly for us, he is very much the sort of player Leicestershire as a club has been all about over the years,” he said.

“All the guys knew how talented he was, but you never quite know how a player will react once they’re out there being asked to do it for real against top players. Ben has actually looked as though he relished the pressure, rising to every challenge.”

Leicestershire CCC were badly affected by injuries to the seam bowling unit last week, but welcome back seam duo Gavin Griffiths and Dieter Klein. Batsman Sam Evans is also included in the 13-man squad, while Lewis Hill is in contention after being part of the squad against Warwickshire CCC.

Leicestershire CCC (from 13): Horton (capt), Abbas, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dearden, Dexter, Evans, Griffiths, Hill, Javid, Klein, Mike, Parkinson.

* Leicestershire CCC’s final Specsavers County Championship home game is against Durham CCC tomorrow (10.30am start). Tickets cost £12 for adults and £2 for under 16s and are available for all four days HERE