Leicestershire Foxes Vitality T20 Blast at Grace Road Loss

 

LILLEY LEADS LEICESTER TO WIN AS NOTTS TAIL OFF

Notts lost to Leicestershire at Grace Road last night by 2 wickets with 2 balls to spare at sunny Grace Road. Leicester won the toss and elected to bowl. Notts made three changes; in came Duckett,Clarke and Chappell, the latter making his first T20 appearance of the season;out went Slater, James and Fletcher. Jake Ball was sitting on the bench with the England T20 squad and was unavailable.

On the back of impressive knocks from Joe Clarke(57) and Ben Duckett, Notts were well placed at 151 for 4 off 15.2 overs, but only added 22 off the final scheduled 28 balls to finish with a well par total. Samit Patel, ninth man for 26, could not find any support from the lower order batsmen. Notts’ long tail, which has been evident throughout the competition had been cruelly exposed. Lilley (4-0-29-1) was the pick of the bowlers and Naveen took 3-33, clean bowling Trego once more. Set a very gettable target. Leicester lost Rishi Patel early, but Leeds born Aussie Josh Inglis smashed 42 off 19 balls and man of the match Arron Lilley 42 off 23 balls as Leicester raced to75 for 1 at the end of the power play. The nervous Zak Chappell, given cat calls from the home crowd of around 800, fluffed his chance and went for 15 in his opening over. His captain left him to graze in the outfield before being forced to give him the last over of the match. Notts fought back well after the powerplay with Harrison showing excellent temperament once more and taking 2 for 21off his four overs. Notts kept taking wickets against the mediocre home outfit with Mullaney, clearly trusting himself over Paterson and Chappell, bagging 3 for 33. But with Leicester needing 17 off 2 overs with 3 wickets left, he had to bring them back. Paterson, from the Bennett End, bowled two wides in an 8 ball over which went for 11. Chappell then removed Callum Parkinson who skied him to Mullaney in the covers, a leg bye followed. Naveen luckily edged the former Leicester man for four and then pulled him to square leg for 4 as the game was up for Notts.

With Notts wearing black armbands in memory of Peter Wynne-Thomas, Parkinson opened from the Bennett End. Joe Clarke hit his opening delivery through the covers, six off the over. Naveen bowled the 2nd over and Hales lofted his third ball for four through mid wicket, 12 for 0after 2 overs. Hales hit Parkinson for two off side fours in the third over which cost 11 runs. Ackermann bowled the fourth over which went for 4 and he dismissed Hales (15) caught on the mid wicket ropes by Lilley, 24 for one.Duckett pulled Griffiths first delivery for 4. Clarke hit the formerLancashire man for successive sixes over mid wicket and extra cover, 20 off theover. Clarke hit Naveen to the backward point ropes and successiveboundaries through extra cover. Notts 62 for 1 at the end of the power play, 13 below what Leicester hit later in the night.

The 7th over was bowled by Ben Mike and Clarke hit him for a massive six over mid wicket, a shot which broke his bat. Later in the over, Clarke deposited him for a six over long on, bringing up the 50 partnership with Duckett in 22 balls. A single for Clarke brought up his 50 off 24 balls, 16 off the over including a leg bye. Clarke then hit Ackermann forsix over wide long on. Two balls later Clarke was caught on the mid wicketropes by Mike off Ackermann for 57 off 27 balls (4x4, 5x6), 86 for 2. Thepartnership had raised 62 in 4.1 overs. Duckett reverse swept the South African for four, 13 off the over. Lilley bowled over number 9 which went for 5.Duckett swept Ackermann for four through long leg and then hit successive fours through extra cover and square leg, Notts 110 for 2 off 10 overs.

Moores reverse swept Lilley for 4 but with Moores was clearly struggling to work the ball around, only 5 off the over. Moores was bowled by a bail trimmer from Griffiths for a 10 ball 7, 115 for 3 in the 12th over. Griffiths then bowled a wide which cost 5 runs, nine off the over.Duckett ramped Parkinson for 4 and next ball found the long leg ropes.Parkinson had Duckett leg before on the sweep. The left hander out for a 27 ball 45, 134 for 4 off 13 overs. Lilley went for three singles in the14th over. Patel hit Parkinson for a 4 through backward point, 9 off the over.Notts 146 for 4 off 15 overs. Mullaney (7) swept Lilley to the square leg ropes but departed next ball caught at extra cover by Ackermann, 151 for 5.Lilley (4-0-20-1) had bowled well. The rest of the Notts innings went down theplug hole. Patel found the third manboundary off Naveen but Trego was bowled by the Naveen for 1, 158 for 6.Harrison was out first ball caught on the mid wicket ropes by Lilley. Carter defended the hat trick ball and the following ball, five off the over.Carter was caught at backward square leg by Naveen off Ackermann for 0, 159 for 8, four off the over. Patel found the point ropes off Naveen but was caught on the deep mid wicket ropes by Lilley off him for a 23-ball 26, 166 for 9. Paterson hit Griffiths through the covers for 4, but was bowled nextball for 6. Notts 173 all out off 19.2 overs, criminally four deliveries were lost from the innings. Chappell 2 not out. Notts total appeared to be around 15 below par.

Inglis hit Samit Patel (BennettEnd) for successive fours through extra cover and straight, 10 off the first over. Rishi Patel lofted Carter for 4 over wide long on and later in the over found the square leg ropes, 12 off the over. Rishi Patel was caught at deep square leg by Duckett off Paterson for 11. Next ball Inglis slogged him for 6 over cow corner and he followed it with an off side four., 12 off the over. Inglis hit a lofted six off Chappell backward of square and next ball Chappell was ramped to boundary ropes, 15 off the over. Lilley hit Samit Patel for a straight six and a four, 61 for 1 off five overs. Lilley then hit Carter for an off sideboundary. Leicester 75 for 1 at the end of the power play.

Notts fought back well from this point, Harrison came on from the Bennett End and had Inglis caught at long on by Hales for 42, 78 for 2, three of the leg spinnersfirst over. Lilley dabbed Mullaney for four, stroked him for a 4 through midwicket and then a straight six followed,17 off the over. Ackermann swept Harrison for 4. Lilley was then stumped by Moores off Harrison for 42, 101 for 3. Samit Patel bowled the 10th over. Leicester 107 for 3 off 10 overs.

Harrison conceded six off the 11th over. Carter returned and Swindells was caught behind for 5, 114 for 4. Ackermann lofted Carter for 4 over fine leg, 8 off the over. Harrison conceded five singles in his last over, Harrison (4-0-21-2) was Notts best bowler on a disappointing night. Hill hit Mullaney for 4 over extra cover. Mullaney got thefifth wicket as Ackermann (22) was caught at short third man by Carter, 133 for 5. Eight off the Mullaney over. Louis Kimber tickled Carter for leg side four, five off the over. Carter 4-0-39-1. Moores standing up to Mullaney conceded a costly 4 byes Leicester 149 for 5 off 16 overs.

Samit Patel (4-0-32-0) bowled the17th over and conceded 5 plus a leg bye. Hill (14) scooped Mullaney straight to Patel at short fine leg, 156 for 6. Kimber was caught by Duckett at mid wicket off Mullaney for 14, 2 off the over. But Mullaney was left with no option but to return to Paterson and Chappell. Paterson was hit for three towards extra coverby Parkinson, Mike then hit the next ball for 4 through square leg. Next ball was a wide. Mike then hit the next delivery for a single. A dot ball followed.Then another wide. Parkinson completed the over with an off side single. 11 off the over. Parkinson, hitting the ball skywards, was caught in the covers by Mullaney off Chappell for 4 off the first ball of the last over. Mike got aleg bye off the next ball. Naveen edged a four through the vacant slip area to bring the scores level. There was no tie this time as the fourth ball was pulledfor 4 by Naveen through square leg to give Leicester victory.

Notts had done the right thing to rotate the squad, but the holes in the line up were all too clear to see. The lower order batting was too careless and some of the bowling shabby, Chappell and Paterson going for 46 off their 3.4 overs. Time to give James and Evison some action against Durham on Sunday, with Trego and Chappell the likely candidates for the chop. MAG

Secret Squirrel has announced a thirteen man squad. No Sol Budinger!

Alex Hales
Joe Clarke
Peter Trego
Tom Moores
Ben Duckett
Samit Patel
Steven Mullaney
Calvin Harrison
Lyndon James
Matt Carter
Luke Fletcher
Dane Paterson
Zak Chappell

Another England one day squad and it's another England T20 squad without Alex Hales.

Ludicrous it is, but Notts are the beneficaries with such a decision. Notts, however will be without Jake Ball, called-up to the aforementioned squad.

Another squad announced for a County Select side to play a 4 dayer against India at CLS behind closed doors, starting next Tuesday, includes Liam Patterson-White, Haseeb Hameed, Lyndon James and (can't get into a Notts side) Zak Chappell. This fixture should have zero impact on the remaining Blast games nor the One Day Cup games that are still on the cards (ECB scythe permitting). None of the 14 man squad have an Hundred franchise to worry about.  

Ben Duckett should be back from drinks duty with the previous England squad.