Yorkshire Vikings Match Preview - 24/7/21

The Running Foxes will be looking to continue their winning start to the 2021 Royal London Cup campaign after defeating Derbyshire Falcons by six wickets on Thursday, July 22.

Leicestershire saw half-centuries from Rishi Patel, Marcus Harris and Lewis Hill help in their chase of 280 set by Falcons in the first innings, led by captain Billy Godleman's 116. An emphatic ending to the Foxes' innings from George Rhodes saw the Foxes batsman finish 39 not out off 30 deliveries, with a strike-rate of 130 to guide Leicestershire to victory with 21 balls remaining.

Yorkshire Vikings on the other hand will be looking for their first win in the competition, after falling to a five wicket defeat at the hands of Surrey CCC inside 40 overs. The Vikings batsmen failed to record one half-century between them, with Matt Revis top-scoring with a-run-a-ball 43.

Matt Pillans was Vikings' shining light with the ball, claiming four wickets but at an average of 14.25 and an economy rate of 6.33

Last Time We Met

Just as with our match against Derbyshire Falcons on Thursday, July 22, we have to go back over two years to find the last scheduled meeting between Leicestershire and Yorkshire in the Royal London Cup, taking place at Emerald Headingley.

Unfortunately, however, that match was something of a disaster for the Running Foxes. Our captain for that match was Paul Horton, who won the toss and elected to field, and it was a long 50 overs for us. After a strong start where three wickets from Tom Taylor reduced the hosts to 17-3, centuries from Harry Brook (103, 105b) and Gary Ballance (156, 133b) elevated Yorkshire to 379-7. Taylor (3-57 from his 10 overs) was the pick of our bowlers.

No Foxes player passed 50, with Mark Cosgrove’s 42 (33b) being our best effort as we folded to 166 and lost by 213 runs - former Fox Matt Pillans doing the damage for Yorkshire, taking 5-29.

So, plenty of improvement is needed from that match for Leicestershire to emerge victorious tomorrow, and with only three players featuring for the Running Foxes in our win against Derbyshire on Thursday playing in that match from 2019 - it will be a new-look Leicestershire taking to the field.

That new-look Leicestershire got the better of Yorkshire in their last meeting, in the Vitality Blast. We posted 207-3 from our 20 overs, with Arron Lilley’s career-best 99no (55b) the highlight. Yorkshire were never in the hunt, with Callum Parkinson skittling their top-order to take 4-35, and we won in straightforward fashion by 34 runs.

Head to Head

Marcus Harris vs Will Fraine

Marcus Harris got his 50 over campaign off to a flier on Thursday, with our Australian overseas star hitting 75 (85b) in a dominant display. Harris has now hit 1,331 List A runs at an average of around 30 and strike rate 86, most coming in a very high standard 50-over competition in Australia.

Harris has been a superb signing for the Running Foxes, accumulating 655 runs to be our top-scorer in the LV= Insurance County Championship, at an average of 54.58 - if he can continue those superb returns throughout this competition he will make it very hard for opposition teams to get the better of us.

Will Fraine opened for Yorkshire against Surrey on Thursday and only made six runs, but the man from Huddersfield impressed in their warm-up match against Northumberland on Tuesday. He smashed 146 not out from 129 balls, including 15 fours and six sixes, to lead Yorkshire to a facile nine-wicket victory.

It is important that the Running Foxes bowlers are aware of Fraine’s talents at the top of the order. Ignore his 11 average from five career List A matches - he has hugely improved since the last 50 over tournament in 2019, and his T20 Blast strike rate of exactly 150 illustrates how dangerous he can be with the bat.

Leicestershire Foxes Squad

TBA.

Match Sponsor

We would like to thank CT Alarms for sponsoring our Royal London Cup fixture against Derbyshire Falcons.