We want a strong finish - Horton

Captain Paul Horton does not want Leicestershire CCC to change their approach over the final five weeks of the season.

Defeat to Kent earlier this week has left the Foxes still lying fourth of the ten teams in Division Two, but now 30 points adrift of second-placed Sussex, with the top two teams being promoted to Division One.

But County still have Sussex to play, at Hove in two weeks time, and there are five Specsavers County Championship matches remaining and 120 points available to be won.

Horton believes that Leicestershire CCC can still figure in the fight to go up, but rather than look too far ahead, feels it is vital that the team continues to play disciplined cricket over sustained periods of time.

“We're playing solid cricket, and if we keep doing that, we'll see where it takes us,” he said. “If we win every game we play in this last part of the season, I think we'll be very close.

“It's sometimes tough at this time of the year, but we all started in the same place and some teams no longer have anything to play for – but we do.

“We have some injuries, we have some tired bodies and minds, but professional athletes should be judged on how they finish a season, and we need to dust ourselves down, refresh and go hard until the end.

“Remember we finished [in] last [place] last season and didn't win a game: to come from that to where we are now, I think we've made significant improvement as a cricket club and as a squad.”

Fortune certainly didn't favour the home side at the Fischer County Ground in Leicestershire CCC’s most recent game.

After seven sessions in which the Foxes fought impressively to overcome the disadvantages of being put in to bat in seam-friendly conditions and then losing Chappell, to set Kent a target of 253 to win the game, the visiting batsmen were delighted to see the heavy clouds finally dissipate and the ball stop swinging.

Sean Dickson and Heino Kuhn took impressive advantage, seeing their side home to an eight wicket win with a classy undefeated double-century partnership.

“Not beating Kent at home is a shame but we beat them on their own ground last month,” said Horton.

“It was a slightly weird game for us really, losing a key player [Zak Chappell] to the concussion protocol, and then the changing conditions on day three.

“It was one of those games that didn't really run for us, the opposition played well, and you need a bit of luck sometimes.

“Kent was our third loss, yes, but two of those [away to Durham and home to Middlesex] could have gone either way.

“We were solidly competitive over the first two days against Kent until conditions aligned for them. It's a shame but that happens sometimes. We want to put a full season together and finish strong.”

As well as the crucial game at Hove on Tuesday week, Leicestershire CCC's other fixtures see them to travel to Gloucestershire CCC next week, and play Warwickshire CCC and Durham CCC at the Fischer County Ground, before finishing against Glamorgan CCC in Cardiff.

* Leicestershire CCC’s next Specsavers County Championship home game is against leaders Warwickshire CCC on Monday, September 10 (10.30am start). Tickets cost £12 for adults and £2 for under 16s and are available for all four days HERE