Leicestershire under GrahamB

[GrahamB]

ESSEX v LEICESTERSHIRE (Twenty Over Cup Quarter-Final)

We did well to score 163 all out against the dangerous Essex attack.
In reply, we had the home side reeling at 53/5 and looking to wrap up a comfortable win.
However, Rashid (70) and Foster (47) almost took the game away from us, as they took their side to within sight of victory at 158/5 with a magnificent partnership.
Enter Alec Wyatt and Dawid Malan, who saved us by ripping out both batsmen plus the tail without any further runs being added to the score!

And so we're into a semi-final against Durham!

[GrahamB]

Back to the Challenge Cup campaign with four further matches.
Sadly, we're still struggling in this form of the game.

LEICESTERSHIRE v YORKSHIRE (Challenge Trophy)

We did well to bowl Yorkshire out for 213, Clarkson leading the way with 9-0-25-4.
However, it quickly became apparent why the visitors had struggled so badly when it was our turn to bat.
Wickets fell at regular intervals as we tried to stay in the game. However, at 120/6 and with the required run rate getting higher, we did well to get as close as we did at 187 all out.
Brooks did the damage at the top of the order, while Rafiq caused mayhem later on.




LEICESTERSHIRE v KENT (Challenge Trophy)

Hildreth (108no) and Billings (41no) came together at 181/5 to take us through to a competitive score of 268/5.
Kent were looking good at 198/3, but both Anwar and Clarkson came back with devastating second spells to wreck the visitors' hopes.
Anwar finished with the superb figures of 5/47 after being belted around a bit initially.




LEICESTERSHIRE v DURHAM (Challenge Trophy)

Sharpe's knock of 81 helped pave the way for us to get through to 254/9, although it was mainly thanks to Billings (41) holding things together towards the end, as Wood wreaked havoc taking 4/41.
When we had Durham at 181/5, we still held hopes of taking the win, but Blair (82) and Richardson (39no) took their side through to the cusp of victory.
Wadlan bowled a tight spell of 10-2-33-2 and Anwar also caused problems with his 10-045-2.




GLAMORGAN v LEICESTERSHIRE (Challenge Trophy)

We went into this game without Wadlan, who'd picked up an injury. Bad timing as he has been very miserly with the ball.
This loss could well have sealed our fate as collector's of the wooden spoon yet again.
Batting first, half centuries to both Sharpe and Hildreth, plus handy contributions from Redfern (30), Bulman (30) and Jewell (31no) saw us through to 251/9.
Reed (3/42) was the best of the Durham bowlers.
Then a fantastic Allenby century almost single-handedly took the game away from us, as Durham squeaked home with a 1 wicket victory in the final over of the match.
Anwar (3/55) and Clarkson (3/38) again did their best to try and win the game, but to no avail.

[GrahamB]

[GrahamB]

LEICESTERSHIRE v ESSEX (County Championship)

A visit from top of the table Essex for our next County Championship match.
With Bradley Wadlan out injured, Jigar Naik gets another chance in the first eleven.
Dawid Malan and Dan Redfern were preferred in the middle order, with Matthew Boyce unlucky to miss the cut.
Sam Billings needed resting, so Gerald Bulman takes the gloves for this match.

[GrahamB]

Essex won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch suited for the batsmen.
Westley (112) and Bopara (56) set the foundation for a good score, while all of the middle order batsmen contributed as the visitors scored 373 all out.
Marcus Clarkson finished with 4/98, but lacked support from the other bowlers.

With both openers back in the pavilion at 63/2, Shiv Thakor (74) and James Hildreth (63) got us back on track.
However, both fell in quick succession to leave us at 186/4. Thankfully Dawid Malan (40), Dan Redfern (41) and Gerald Bulman (47no) all batted solidly to get us close to the Essex score.
Then the clouds rolled in and rain disrupted play for a short time. with very cloudy conditions and half an hour before a break of play, we declared at 356/9.
Essex youngster, Kurt Webster impressed with the ball, taking 3/472 on debut.

We had a good chance for victory lined up in our sights when we had Essex on the ropes at 151/7.
However, salvation for the visitors came from an unlikely source, as the veteran Mark Pettini buddied up with Kurt Webster to put on an unbroken 116 run stand for the eighth wicket.
Webster was the aggressor, smashing 70no off just 81 balls.
The declaration came at 267/7, leaving us to chase 285 for victory.

We had an early scare as both openers fell cheaply again and we were precariously placed at 16/2.
However, Thakor, Hildreth and Malan saw us through to the end at 157/4 and the match was drawn.




We're creating winning chances lately, but not capitalising on them. Getting better though.

[GrahamB]

LEICESTERSHIRE v NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (Challenge Trophy)

We finished off our Challenge Trophy campaign with our third win, so ended up missing the cut for the knockout stage by just one win!

Nottinghamshire elected to bat first and were in trouble early. They lost wickets regularly and at 122/6, their situation looked dire.
However, their lower middle order rallied to post 203 all out.
All-rounder Frank Jewell continues to impress with his bowling in ODs, finishing with 9-1-35-5.

Chasing down the small total, we were cruising at 92/1 before wickets started to fall.
We looked to be in a spot of bother at 162/7, but Dan Redfern found a stubborn ally in Waqab Anwar, and we closed out the victory with several overs to spare.

[GrahamB]

DURHAM v LEICESTERSHIRE (Twenty Over Cup Semi-Final)

After winning the toss and putting Durham in, we restricted them to a paltry 107/8.
They were already struggling when our part-time medium pacer Jack Ready was brought into the attack. He then produced the outstanding figures of 3/24 to complete the damage.

In reply, we came out swinging. Martin Sharpe smashed 19 off the first over from Onions and we never looked back. We were even able to take our foot off the pedal after losing a wicket too many for our liking.
Victory was achieved in the 14th over, with Dawid Malan guiding us home.

And so we're into the Final against Northamptonshire!

[GrahamB]

NORTHAMPTONSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (Twenty Over Cup Final)

We did it!
Northamptonshire chose to bat first and put up a competitive score of 151/7, despite the efforts of Waqab Anwar who sent five batsmen on their way in a superb spell of bowling.

We came out firing with the bat again, with Martin Sharpe bludgeoning a quickfire 47. What a superb signing he's turned out to be!
Our required run rate had come down sufficiently to again take our foot off the pedal after losing a few too many wickets, and we cruised home in the 18th over.

[GrahamB]

WORCESTERSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2)

With Greg Smith, Shiv Thakor and Sam Billings out of form, we've brought Michael Thornely and Matthew Boyce back into the line-up and Gerald Bulman retains the gloves.
We've gone with a four man pace attack, with Waqab Anwar and Marcus Clarkson being joined by Frank Jewell and Ollie Freckingham.

[KGKOOLKAT777]

Well done on the T20 win!

[GrahamB]

Well done on the T20 win!

Thanks!

[GrahamB]

We almost came a cropper against Worcester, mainly due again to our inability to bowl teams out cheaply.

Put into bat under very cloudy conditions, Sharpe (47) and Thornely (59) got us off to a solid start before the swinging ball decimated our top order, seeing us plummet from 79/0 to 147/5.
Boyce (97no) then pulled off a rescue mission, with great support from Anwar (62) in particular. These two took us from a perilous 213/7 through to a respectable 328/8.
Boyce was tragically left just short of a century when the final wicket fell at 360.
Stuart Meaker was again our nemesis with the ball, taking 5/55 off his 31 overs.

The conditions certainly favoured the batsmen now, with a lifeless pitch and sunny conditions. It was going to be tough work for our bowlers.
When Oliver (46) was the third wicket to fall at 86/3, things still could have swung our way.
Fell (58) and Pardoe (62) helped Worcestershire recover, but at 210/5, the game was still in the balance.
Then Kohler-Cadmore came to the crease and played easily the best innings of his career to date, smacking 143 off just 140 balls.
With support from Whitely (55) and Leach (50no), the home side were able to pull the plug at 509/7 declared, a very useful lead of 149 runs.

We had to negotiate the best part of the final session on Day 3, but made a disastrous start, losing early wickets to be teetering on the brink at 14/3 and then 53/4!
On the fifth morning, Redfern (59) and Boyce took us through to 148/4 at which point two wickets fell at that score.
148/6 and defeat still loomed large.
Boyce dug in as he'd done in the first innings, and with Jewell (44) and Clarkson (51no) showing good fighting spirit, the match was saved. Boyce ended on 142no as we declared at 343/8.
Meaker was the most lethal bowler again, finishing with 4/98.

Our four frontline bowlers all got a spell each, as Worcestershire batted the match out to end on 40/1.

[GrahamB]

DERBYSHIRE v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2)

Shiv Thakor comes back in, with Dawid Malan losing his spot.
Michael Thornely and Gerald Bulman did enough in the previous game to retain their spots ahead of Greg Smith and Sam Billings.
Bradley Wadlan has recovered from his recent injury and gives us a spin option.
That means room for three pace bowlers. Frank Jewell and Ollie Freckingham get the chop in favour of Waqar Anwar, Marcus Clarkson and Alec Wyatt.

[KGKOOLKAT777]

Is that the Australian Craig Simmons?

[GrahamB]

Is that the Australian Craig Simmons?

Yes it is.