Yorkshire CCC | Match Preview - 06/04/2023

On the dawn of the new season, renewed optimism around the Uptonsteel County Ground is increasingly palpable. After an exciting winter on and off the field, Leicestershire kick off their 2023 campaign with a stern test, a trip to promotion-favourites Yorkshire at Headingley.

Newly appointed Club captain Lewis Hill will lead his troops, buoyed by the overseas arrivals of Peter Handscomb and the returning Wiaan Mulder, as well as now England star Rehan Ahmed, as the Foxes go in hunt of an opening round victory on the road.

Leicestershire’s record when opening their red-ball campaign on the road is impressive, with an unbeaten run stretching back eight fixtures, including three wins from their last four round-one away days.

Last Time We Met:

The two sides last met in red-ball cricket during 2020’s improvised Bob Willis Trophy. Yorkshire ran out as 10-wicket winners at Headingley during the final group stage game “ one which saw Rishi Patel and Arron Lilley make their first-class debuts for the Club.

The previous County Championship clash was back in 2012, ending in a draw at Grace Road. Matt Boyce struck a century, as he did in the reverse fixture, while Adam Lyth carried his bat for an unbeaten 248. Now Director of Cricket Claude Henderson took four-fer for the Foxes.

Fox to Watch:

Sol Budinger will have caught the attention of the Foxes faithful during pre-season. Two enterprising innings of 69 (59b) against Northamptonshire and 42 retired out (49b) against Nottinghamshire last week will have amplified the former Notts opener’s confidence ahead of the trip to Headingley.

Not that he needs much. The 23-year-old got off the mark in his first outing of the spring with a huge six off Ben Sanderson at Wantage Road, smashing 13 fours and six sixes during his two innings. It’s expected Budinger will be one of the favourites to embrace the ‘BazBall’ mentality introduced to English red-ball cricket in the past 12 months.

Opposition Player to Watch:

In a squad littered with international stars, homegrown talent George Hill has stepped up to carry responsibility on his young shoulders.

In 2022, the versatile batter finished as the third-highest run-scorer for the White Rose with 729 runs at 31.69, including his new career-best 151 not out.

With the ball, the 22-year-old picked up 20 wickets at 21.1, all while going at under three runs per over. In all three facets of the game, Hill is a threat to the Foxes’ fortunes.

Squad:

Lewis Hill will skipper the side for the first time in Championship cricket when he takes to the field in West Yorkshire. He’ll have the likes of Wiaan Mulder, Peter Handscomb and Colin Ackermann to lean on, as well as bat with, in what looks to be a sturdy batting group for the 2023 summer.

Rehan Ahmed is another headline name to make the squad after a glittering winter away with England, during which the 18-year-old took a five-fer on Test debut and later became the youngest Men’s player to debut across all three formats.

Academy graduate Josh Hull and winter arrival Matt Salisbury are in line for their Leicestershire debuts, while Callum Parkinson is included after battling a side niggle during pre-season.

Leicestershire: Ackermann, Ahmed, Barnes, Budinger, Finan, Handscomb, Hill*, Hull, Kimber, Mulder, Parkinson, Patel, Salisbury, Wright.