"These Are The Games You Want To Win" | Thomas Reflects On Gloucestershire Victory

Head Coach Alfonso Thomas has outlined the significant impact Sunday’s nail-biting victory against Gloucestershire can have on the remainder of Leicestershire’s 2025 season.

The Foxes picked up their second win from the opening four games to extend their advantage at the summit of the Division Two table in Bristol, beating the hosts by two wickets in a tense chase deep into day three.

“It’s these kinds of games that you want to win,” Thomas says. “Because if you don’t get over the line, these games leave a scar. It’s important you find ways to win, and we showed the grit to do that this week.

“It was always going to be tricky to chase a score of over 180. We didn’t get the start we wanted, we were on the back foot, but the calmness the guys showed after was incredibly pleasing to see. It’s a big win for us.”

The South African will be relieved to see Leicestershire come out on the right side of a nerve-shredding four-day thriller. In the previous two campaigns, the Foxes have narrowly lost potentially season-deciding close contests against Worcestershire “ home and away in 2023 - as well successive thrilling finishes at Hove, to disturb their promotion ambitions.

“It’s early days, but these are the games you look back on at the end of the season. In the past, we’ve said: ‘What if?’ At least this time, we can pinpoint this performance and the character we showed. Let’s see in September.”

A low-scoring affair, Thomas admits the bowler-friendly conditions would have had him licking his lips in years gone by. “It was certainly a pitch I would’ve loved to have bowled on,” he laughs. “There were a few rumours they wanted a flat wicket; it was anything but. There was always something in it for the bowlers.

“Even so, we were ruthless. I felt we just allowed Bracey to get away in the first innings and we could’ve gone for the kill a bit earlier. But that’s exactly what the boys did in the second innings, and we got our rewards.”

Ian Holland’s late strike on day two “ removing Ollie Price for 43 in the penultimate over “ proved a pivotal turning point and an ominous portent for what was to come the following morning, as Leicestershire picked up the final nine Gloucestershire wickets for just 65 runs.

“Just on Dutchy, it must be quite boring being that good,” Thomas jokes. “He’s just doing the basics better than everybody else. There’s a reason why he’s the top-wicket in the division this year.”

Holland finished with superb match figures of 35.4-11-64-7 to extend his tally to 20 wickets “ taken at an average of just 15.4 “ while Ben Green also finished the contest with seven wickets to his name. The all-rounder picked up his maiden first-class five-wicket haul en route, an achievement which drew further praise from Thomas.

“He’s a fantastic performer and a fantastic character. He bowled beautifully this week and fully deserved his five-fer. Ben is the kind of guy that has played in, and won, big games for Somerset, and his experience certainly showed at the end when we needed him most.”

Green was the man to secure the champagne moment, as his back-foot cut to the ropes sealed victory for the Foxes. “The calmness Greener and Roman showed towards the end, facing two maidens, making sure they stayed in control was very impressive. Eventually, Gloucestershire’s bowlers went searching, and we punished them.”

It followed studious work from phlegmatic captain Peter Handscomb and wicketkeeper Ben Cox, whose crucial 58-run alliance rescued Leicestershire from a perilous position of 42 for five.

“Pete and Coxy were key for us,” Thomas says. “We looked at the top of the order and we always knew the style of cricket that the likes of Rishi, Sol, and Rehan would play. We could easily be 100 for no wicket after ten overs or three wickets down. We’ve seen both sides in recent weeks.

“But our senior guys can take the mantle on. Hilly and Dutchy did fantastically well in the first innings to take the sting out of things and move the scoreboard on, and Coxy stepped up both times too. He was the senior player we needed.”

Cox demonstrated warrior-like qualities to re-emerge onto the field after spending Saturday evening in a Bristol A&E following a nasty blow to the ribs during Leicestershire’s first innings. In total, his 100 runs across both innings “ the most of any player in the contest - proved match-defining.

“Coxy messaged me at five-past-nine on Saturday night saying: ‘Coach, I’ve just got back from A&E, there’s soreness, but I can tell you now: I want to bat.’ And that’s the sign of a player I want in my team. He was fantastic for us.”

It led to Handscomb keeping wicket for Gloucestershire’s second innings, a role he did throughout the 2023 campaign. Despite taking a blinder to dismiss compatriot Cameron Green, Thomas says the Australian international isn’t in a rush to gatekeep the gloves any time soon.

“How good was that catch?,” he smiles. “Pete’s said to me: ‘Coach, its only short-term, don’t get any ideas.’ But he did very well.”

With a three-day finish in Bristol, the 48-year-old may have been eyeing a tee time in the early part of the week to celebrate. Mrs Thomas, however, has other, more laborious plans.

“My wife has already messaged me saying the garden’s waiting; there’s no rest for the wicked. I’ve got gardening to do, so no time on the golf course unfortunately.” Instead, he already has eyes on Leicestershire’s clash with East Midlands counterparts Northamptonshire, starting on Friday at Uptonsteel County Ground.

“It’ll be nice to be back home and hopefully get that first home win of the season in front our fans,” Thomas says. “We’ve done brilliantly on the road, but that would be perfect heading into the mini-break.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. Our objective is to win as many games as we can. It’s early days, but we’ve already won one more game than last year. Let’s see how many more we can win in the months ahead.”

To watch the table-topping Foxes take on Northamptonshire this week, secure your seat HERE.