Worcestershire Rapids | T20 Match Preview | 09/06/2024

The games are coming thick and fast in the Vitality Blast, as Leicestershire welcome Worcestershire Rapids to Uptonsteel County Ground on Sunday (2:30pm start).

The Foxes are aiming to bounce back from a final over defeat against Durham on Friday evening. There’s encouragement in the home ranks, however, with Ben Cox hitting his maiden T20 fifty for the Club and Rehan Ahmed back to his threatening best with the ball (4-0-22-1).

Worcestershire are also looking for a response, after going down by six runs away at Northamptonshire in front of the Sky cameras.

FAMOUS FIXTURE:

2021’s meeting at Uptonsteel County Ground was a special occasion for more reasons than one. The final fixture of the group stage, the Foxes took victory by seven wickets, chasing 171 inside 18 overs.

That was largely thanks to Josh Inglis’ dazzling century, his second of the competition. The Aussie opener crashed the highest individual score in Leicestershire’s T20 history, 118 not out, from just 61 balls “ plundering the boundary with 10 fours and eight sixes!

Callum Parkinson also had a moment to savour, as his wicket of Daryl Mitchell helped him become the Foxes’ all-time leading wicket taking in T20 cricket.

DECISIVE DUEL:

Sunday’s clash will be an emotional one for Ben Cox, as he faces off against the Rapids for the first time since he ended a 15-year stay at New Road to join Leicestershire.

The wicketkeeper-batter scored a first half-century for the Foxes in the format in just his second innings on Friday, tempering his knock immaculately to reach fifty from the final ball of the innings.

Cox has outstanding pedigree in T20 cricket, registering 2,419 at 26.29 in his 159 appearances to date “ winning the Blast with the Rapids in 2018. His ability to play spin and accelerate at the death makes him a dangerous prospect against his former club on Sunday.

His opposing number with the gloves, Gareth Roderick, is also an experienced man both behind the stumps and with the bat. But in T20 cricket, Cox may feel he has the upper hand. Roderick top scored with 39 during Friday’s defeat in Northampton, his best returns in a 52-game T20 career.

SQUAD:

The Foxes name an unchanged 14-strong squad for the visit of Worcestershire Rapids. Tom Scriven and Liam Trevaskis are still ruled out through injury.

Leicestershire Foxes: Ahmed, Budinger, Cox+, Currie, Goldsworthy, Handscomb*, Holland, Hull, Kimber, Mike, Mulder, Patel, Swindells, Walker.

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