"We Want To Entertain Leicester" | Handscomb Targets History Repeat To Reward Foxes Fans

In the world of cricket, history has a funny habit of repeating itself, often in the most inspiring ways. On the dawn of the Vitality Blast season, the Leicestershire Foxes are pinning their hopes on a fondly familiar narrative.

As Victoria-born Peter Handscomb steps up to lead the Club’s current crop, he’ll be aiming to emulate the legendary success of fellow Victorian, Brad Hodge, who guided Leicestershire to their maiden T20 triumph in 2004.

As time closes in on the 20-year anniversary of one the Foxes’ greatest days, Handscomb draws inspiration from his fellow Victorian's legacy.

“Brad was a phenomenal player,” he acknowledges. “We were only teammates for a couple of years, but his quality was clear and what he achieved for Leicestershire was remarkable. Hopefully I can lead this team just as well as he did back then.”

Handscomb has certainly started in a similar vein to his former teammate. An unbeaten 75 off 53 balls at Edgbaston bared a striking resemblance to Hodge’s timeless 77 not out off 51 balls in the ‘04 final. It got the Foxes to a score Handscomb thought was ’16 above par’, as the side almost made it two wins from two to begin their 2024 campaign.

“It’s been a really positive start,” he said after Saturday’s fixture at Edgbaston. “We’re showing that we can set competitive totals and chase really well too. We were fantastic with the ball on Friday “ a clinical, calm, and committed display. The same goes for the most part of Saturday too.”

With contributions from across the side in the opening two matches, Handscomb underlines it’ll be a group effort if Leicestershire are to go all the way this season, while the side can lift flexible blueprints from last summer’s Metro Bank One Day Cup glory.

“I think we've got a good all-round team. What we showed in the One Day comp last year is that whether we batted or bowled first, we can win from any position. It’s about putting ourselves in the best positions possible depending on the situation, and we can take that experience into the Blast.

“We're not really looking at one person to be a match winner for us. There’s so much batting depth, especially when you have Rehan Ahmed coming in at number eight “ plus we’ve got healthy spin options and plenty of quicks. Everyone will help us win matches at some point.”

One of the most burgeoning talents at his disposal is 6ft 7” seamer, Josh Hull, who ignited the competition with an eye-catching 3/28 in Friday night’s opening round victory over the Yorkshire Vikings. A performance which impressed Leicestershire’s new T20 skipper.

“Hully is going to be huge for us,” he smiles. “He’s got all the attributes - tall, fast, left-arm - that’s something special to have in your team. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do this year. If he can put together similar performances to Friday, that’ll be great for the team and help us go where we want to go.”

A precocious prospect, the question is: how will Handscomb captain Hull and his teammates? In his typical unflustered state, the Australian international is happy to sit back and let the Foxes play to their strengths, rather than micro-manage.

“I'm not really one to dictate how guys are going to play. I think if we can give each individual player the freedom and the license to play their best game, we will be in the strongest position. They will be playing in the roles they're known for, and hopefully that helps us play an exciting brand of cricket.

“The way we’ll try to play is to stay calm under pressure and be the side that panics second. Any heat, I’ll wear it when I can. I want to give the team confidence to play the game they want to play and make decisions based on the way they see the game panning out. We’re starting to get a more experienced squad now, so we will give full trust to them.”

An unflinching head, his players know they can always turn to Handscomb under pressure to be reassured. His constant state of calm in the middle is a far cry from the pandemonium in the stands during T20 cricket, but that patriotic fervour is something Handscomb relishes.

“T20 is just a fun format. We always get bigger crowds and it's been crazy to hear the songs coming from the stands since I joined. The Foxes fans have been awesome, so we want to entertain the people of Leicester and make sure they enjoy supporting us.”

Chants of ‘one more game, Peter Handscomb’ following last year’s One Day Cup semi-final victory over Gloucestershire were met with a new two-year deal in November instead, and the 33-year-old admits the love he felt from the Leicestershire fans was a unique experience in his esteemed career.

“It's definitely the first time I've had my name sung before,” he beams. “That's quite special to hear when you’re battling away in the middle. But also talking to the boys during the One Day Cup final, they said the fans that turned out were amazing and it was the best atmosphere they've ever played in.

“We’re desperate to replicate that this year at Uptonsteel County Ground, and Friday was a fantastic start with the support we received. I know personally it gets me up, and for the group it’s a big lift to walk out in front of your home crowd and have them cheering you on so passionately. It’s a massive advantage for us.”

Once Hodge’s understudy, Handscomb is now the hero at the helm in his own right. With all of Leicestershire firmly behind him, history may just find a way to inspire the present and produce a repeat of the much-fabled success delivered from Victoria 20 years ago.

Watch Handscomb skipper the Foxes with T20 tickets HERE. Or secure a White Ball Pass to 12 T20 and 50-over fixtures HERE.