Yorkshire Vikings | T20 Match Preview - 16/06/2023

Leicestershire are bidding to make it three wins in a row, as they head to Clean Slate Headingley to face the Yorkshire Vikings this evening.

A superb century from Rishi Patel helped the Foxes to defeat Durham in the Blast last Friday, before the side completed a remarkable final day victory away at Gloucestershire in the County Championship earlier this week.

After a struggling start to the season, Yorkshire have hit red form of late, winning their last six in all competitions, including five T20 triumphs.

Last Time We Met:

Leicestershire will be ruing what could’ve been in the meeting between the two 10 days ago. Rehan Ahmed took 3/21 to reduce the Vikings to 78/7 after 13.4 overs, before David Wiese and Ben Mike clubbed 78 to double the visitors’ score to a handy 156/7 at the interval.

The Foxes enjoyed a fruitful Powerplay, before a game-changing moment at the midway point of the chase. Rishi Patel was controversially adjudged LBW on 36 from 25 balls, when well placed to push the Foxes towards victory.

Wiaan Mulder top scored with 46, but Jordan Thompson’s career-best 5/21 earned the Vikings a 30-run success.

Head-to-Head:

It can’t have happened too often (if ever) that two number threes have hit their maiden T20 century on the same evening. But that’s exactly what Rishi Patel and James Wharton did for their respective sides last time out.

Patel smashed 104 from just 49 balls, featuring 12 fours and six maximums, to guide the Foxes to a six-wicket victory over Durham, while Wharton ended 111 not out from 56 deliveries, including 16 fours and three sixes, to help the Vikings to a 26-run win over the Rapids.

It was just Wharton’s second T20 appearance of the season, while Patel has 282 runs at 35.25, striking at 147.64 so far this season.

Squad:

A hand injury for Lewis Hill rules him out of contention for this evening’s trip to West Yorkshire, while Will Davis also misses out.

Naveen-ul-Haq and Michael Finan are bidding to return to the XI after recovering from injuries. Sam Evans enters the squad for the first time this season.

Leicestershire Foxes: Ackermann*, Ahmed, Evans, Finan, Hull, Kimber, Mulder, Naveen, Parkinson, Patel, Salisbury, Swindells+, Welch.