Vikings T20 Match Preview - 29/05/2022
Sun 29 May 2022
When we last met:
The Running Foxes ran out winners last time they faced Yorkshire Vikings in the Vitality Blast, with a big 34 run winning margin.
Winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Leicestershire posted 207-3 from their 20 overs, with Arron Lilley (99 not out, 55b) starring with the willow. Skipper Colin Ackermann (40, 22b) provided valuable assistance to Lilley, while Dom Bess (0-21 from 4 overs) was the only Yorkshire bowler to escape the big-hitting treatment.
Regular wickets hindered Yorkshire's reply, and they succumbed to 173 all out with a ball to spare of their innings. Callum Parkinson (4-35) ran through the top three, and all of our bowlers contributed at least one wicket in an excellent team performance.
Head to Head:-
Rehan Ahmed vs Shadab Khan:
Both teams possess leg-spinning all-rounders, with the Pakistan international Shadab Khan signing for Yorkshire for this tournament. Still only 23, Shadab has already played 64 T20 internationals for his country, taking 73 wickets at 21.79, and scoring 275 runs at a strike rate just below 137.
In his home T20 league, the PSL, Shadab has also impressed, taking 65 wickets in 61 matches for Islamabad United, and scoring 800 runs at a similar strike rate to his international numbers.
While Shadab is very experienced already in his career, Leicestershire possess a leg-spin all-rounder starting to make his journey in professional cricket - 17 year old Rehan Ahmed.
After starring at the Under-19 World Cup last winter, Rehan has hit the ground running in the T20 Blast with stunning performances in the two matches so far this season. From eight overs so far, Rehan has bowled with superb control, going for just a run a ball so far in his career, and picking up two wickets including one with his first ball in professional T20 cricket against Durham. He's also a capable hitter, as evidenced by two huge sixes against the team from the North-East, and his all-round talents are already a big part of the Foxes in this format.
Head Coach Paul Nixon names an unchanged 14-man contingent.
Squad: Ackermann *, Ahmed, Davis, Griffiths, Hill +, Kimber, Lilley, Mike, Naveen, Parkinson, Patel, Rutherford, Steel, Walker.
