Weather frustrates Foxes in FCG opener

NatWest T20 Blast Matchday 5: Leicestershire Foxes v Northants Steelbacks 

SCORECARD

RESULT | Northants Steelbacks (2 points) beat Leicestershire Foxes by two runs (D-L-S method)

REACTION | Head Coach Pierre de Bruyn spoke after the match, the interview is available HERE

REPORT | Leicestershire Foxes unbeaten record in NatWest T20 Blast came to a cruel end at the hands of defending champions Northants Steelbacks at the Fischer County Ground.

A pursuit of 166 to win was in hand with 59 required off the last 33 balls and seven wickets in hand, but rain arrived with the Foxes just three runs short of a score that would have put them ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

Richard Levi's hard-hit 41 off 28, coupled with a fifth wicket stand of 75 in 7.4 overs by Alex Wakely (34 off 25) and Rob Keogh (37 off 28), allowed the visitors to put 165 for 8 on the board.

Leicestershire's seamers did most of the damage with the impressive Mat Pillans claiming 3 for 33 from another fast spell, and Gavin Griffiths (4-0-29-2) and Dieter Klein (4-0-33-2) also excelling.

Mark Cosgrove smashed 41 off 26 balls to put the Foxes in a good position at 107-3 after 14.3 overs but it would be Northants that ultimately claimed victory on the D-L-S method by the margin of two runs.

There were two changes to the Foxes side that had won the first four games. Clint McKay missed out with a niggle while Ned Eckersley also came out of the team. Colin Ackermann captained the Foxes for the first time while Mark Pettini and Klein came in for their first Blast appearances of the campaign.

Levi set the tone for the Steelbacks, hitting a quartet of fours down to fine-leg in a powerplay where Ackermann, like McKay has done previously, utilised the majority of his attack.

The Steelbacks lost two wickets in the first six though, Adam Rossington (6 off 6) pulling a sharp bouncer to substitute Aadil Ali at deep square-leg while Josh Cobb (7 off 9) edged a jaffa from Griffiths to Luke Ronchi.

Northants took the attack to the spinners outside the powerplay as Levi hit Callum Parkinson for a six and brace of fours through the leg-side, and Duckett utilised a reverse sweep against Ackermann to find the fence.

But the Foxes gained control; Duckett (10 off 11) was dismissed after advancing to Parkinson, Ronchi whipping the bails off in a flash, and Griffiths had Levi brilliantly taken at deep square-leg by a diving Klein as the Steelbacks slipped to 68 for four in the 10th over.

Wakely and Keogh regrouped impressively with a vital partnership. The former struck Cameron Delport through cover and hit back over Parkinson's head while Keogh expertly used the pace to steer a Griffiths delivery through where second slip would have been.

The skipper took Klein for two consecutive fours in the 16th to record the 50 partnership, and 21 came from the next over, including three boundaries in the cover region from Keogh.

Pillans responded emphatically, ending the innings of both set batsmen with terrific yorkers, the second of which shattered Wakely's leg stump. Klein then bowled a superb final over that saw the end of Crook (13 off 10), caught by Tom Wells at long-on, and Kleinveldt (1 off 2), who was bowled. 

All told, only eight runs came from the last two overs, and the Foxes scored the same amount off the first four deliveries of the chase. 

Delport (30 off 30) had the majority of the strike during the powerplay and a lot of his runs came down to third man and fine-leg as he used the pace of the ball to his advantage.

Opening partner Ronchi (13 off 9) smashed Ben Sanderson for a powerful four through backward square-leg but perished in the same over, well-held by a diving Duckett at backward point to end the stand at 45.

Cosgrove looked in great touch, sending three of his first eight deliveries rocketing through the off-side. But Delport (30 off 30) drove over a Keogh delivery to leave the Foxes at 64-2 after 8.

Spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keogh made the batsmen work hard with some accurate bowling - Cosgrove got on top of them, however, hitting the slow men for three fours in the space of two overs.

But Keogh's third over went for just three and though Cosgrove struck his seventh four when Kleinveldt dropped short at the start of the 13th, the seamer then bowled the left-hander to give the Steelbacks a lift.

There was an added twist to proceedings with drizzle in the air. Ackermann (10* off 14) and Pettini (6* off 8) were in a tricky position.

A boundary at this stage would have changed the complexion of the game in terms of D-L-S - but had a wicket fallen in pursuit of the four, it would have hindered a chase that could yet have gone to its natural conclusion. 

In many respects the Foxes innings had been set up for a big final five overs as wickets were kept in hand. The team were denied the chance to finish the job.

By the time Keogh finished his fine evening's work with figures of 4-0-24-1, the rain was getting heavier. Gleeson managed to prevent a boundary from the first three balls of the 15th over and conditions were now too poor to continue.

Umpires Steve O'Shaughnessy and Ian Blackwell had no option but to take the players off and abandon the game at around 9.30pm.

The Foxes were naturally disappointed but they have taken eight points from the first five games. They are next in action at home to Birmingham Bears on Tuesday evening (6.30pm start).

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Klein 4-0-33-2, Parkinson 4-0-36-1, Pillans 4-0-33-3, Ackermann 2-0-17-0, Griffiths 4-0-29-2, Delport 2-0-16-0.

TEAM | Ronchi (wk), Delport, Cosgrove, Ackermann (capt), Pettini, Hill, Wells, Pillans, Parkinson, Klein, Griffiths.

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph of Mark Cosgrove batting this evening.