Will Lightning strike twice for Jones?

Leicestershire Foxes are hoping for a change of fortune in a number of respects when Lancashire Lightning arrive at the Fischer County Ground for the Foxes’ final home fixture in this season’s NatWest T20 Blast competition tomorrow night.

Tuesday’s wash out against local rivals Nottinghamshire Outlaws confounded the weather forecasters and put a dent in the Foxes’ chances of making a late run into the quarter-finals, as well as frustrating a crowd that was looking forward to the East Midlands derby.

“We almost certainly need maximum points from our last three games, and we were disappointed to lose Tuesday’s game to the weather, as we wanted to play against quality opposition to give ourselves a measuring stick of where we’re at,” said Elite Performance Director Andrew McDonald.

“We haven’t fired consistently in T20 for various reasons this season, which is doubly frustrating because we’ve been consistently strong in four day cricket. Now it’s about finishing off the T20 season by showing improvement and by playing good cricket in the style we want to play.”

The Foxes have lost seven out of the nine coin tosses that have taken place in the competition this season (two of the eleven matches have been abandoned without a ball being bowled), and been asked to bat first on every occasion.

Leicestershire are not the only club to note the extent to which the importance of winning the toss has increased in the competition this season.

Speaking after Tuesday’s abandonment, Notts Outlaws Director of Cricket Mick Newell said:  “Hardly anybody bats first now, all five of our wins have come batting second, and there’s a danger the competition is becoming formulaic.

“I’d like to see if we can win batting first, but we won’t be winning the toss and choosing to bat anytime soon.”

There’s nothing that can be done about the way coin comes down but the Foxes will have to do something in their control – produce an excellent performance against a Lightning side that has done well in this fixture over the years.

Leicestershire’s last win against the Red Rose was the famous NatWest T20 Blast semi-final of 2011, while Lightning have lost only once at the FCG in this format – their very first visit in 2003.

If the Foxes are looking for a good omen, the appearance of Richard Jones in a 13-man squad could well provide it.

The seamer was in outstanding form against Lancashire Lightning at the start of his first spell for the Foxes in 2014, claiming 5-34 in his first ever game for the Foxes at Emirates Old Trafford (pictured above).

Jones originally joined on loan from Warwickshire to play in the Specsavers County Championship but has now been made available to play in the NatWest T20 Blast matches against Lancashire Lightning and Notts Outlaws.

Forming Lightning batsman Paul Horton and Michael Burgess are also in contention to start with Foxes all-rounder Neil Dexter being rested for the game.

To continue the foot in both camps theme, Lancashire Lightning seamer Nathan Buck is well-known to Leicestershire Members and supporters and has been in good form in this competition for Lightning this term, taking 11 wickets at just 11.91 apiece.

Lancashire will be looking to bounce back from Wednesday night's defeat to Derbyshire Falcons, a result that opened up the North Division.

Earlier this week, Leicestershire confirmed that Mark Cosgrove, who scored an unbeaten half-century in the first meeting of the sides at Emirates Old Trafford, has signed a two year extension to his contract, keeping him at the club until at least the end of 2018.

“It speaks volumes for where he feels we’re heading, because I know there were a few other teams who were aware he was out of contract at the end of the season and who came in for him, but he wants to be here,” said McDonald.

After Friday's contest, the Foxes then move on to Edgbaston on Sunday afternoon for their penultimate game of the group stages, facing Birmingham Bears at 2.30pm.

Foxes (from): Pettini (capt), Cosgrove, Delport, Behardien, Horton, Wells, Hill, Burgess, Raine, Taylor, McKay, Sayer, Jones