MATCH REPORT: Bowlers blast out Leics to set up convincing win
Lancashire Lightning produced a brilliant bowling display to set up a convincing eight-wicket win over Leicestershire Foxes in the 2023 Vitality Blast home opener.
The Foxes were the last team to win a T20 game at Emirates Old Trafford, two years and now 16 games ago, but the visitors never remotely threatened to repeat that feat after Luke Wood and company shredded the top order batting with Leicestershire limping along to finish 99 all out in the 19th over.
Lancashire made short work of chasing that modest total with an unbeaten 46 off 34 balls by Steven Croft, who hit one six and five fours, and an explosive 25 not out off 14 balls from Daryl Mitchell taking Lightning to their target midway through the twelfth over.
Mitchell finished proceedings in style with his second six, while earlier Phil Salt had looked in great touch on his return to the Lightning, making 28 off 19 balls and thumping a four and six off consecutive balls from Rehan Ahmed but out to the next delivery courtesy of a stunning diving catch by Rishi Patel at short gully.
The Lightning’s dominance was such that Liam Livingstone, back from IPL duty and leading the side in Keaton Jenning’s absence was not required with either bat or ball.
Leicestershire won the toss but were quickly in trouble at 17-2 as Wood, generating some quick pace and extracting good bounce from the wicket, sent back Sol Budinger for 6 via a top edge caught by Tom Hartley running in from deep square leg.
Nick Welch followed for 9 four balls later when the batter tried to muscle a short ball over cover but instead found George Bell at point.
Arron Lilley thumped Colin de Grandhomme for four over long-on but fell to the next delivery, dollying up a catch to Daryl Mitchell at midwicket, while Foxes skipper Colin Ackermann was bowled slogging at a de Grandhomme slower ball to be 35-4 after 7 overs.
Rishi Patel and Wiaan Mulder briefly stemmed the tide, adding 26 runs, until Patel was tempted into taking on Matt Parkinson only to hit the leg spinner’s third ball high to Wood who took a good catch running in from long-on.
Mulder followed when he pulled Saqib Mahmood to Hartley at deep midwicket for 25 to leave the Foxes on 65-6 midway through the 12th over and the outstanding Wood (3-11 from 4 overs) returned to have Rehan Ahmed caught behind off an attempted uppercut at a short ball.
There was time for a Parkinson v Parkinson contest as Matt bowled to Callum, but after making 9 Callum skied a pull off Mitchell to Salt, and Mahmood (3-17) struck twice more to end the innings on 99 – Leicestershire’s lowest total against Lancashire in the competition.
“We started off really well and carried it on through the innings,” said Luke Wood.
“When you look at the batting, we made light work of it. It was pretty convincing, “ he added.
Wood produced a devastating three-over burst at the start of the Foxes’ innings, including that T20 rarity, a maiden over.
“It’s not often you bowl three overs in the powerplay,” he admitted. “But I feel like I’m bowling well at the moment and so are the other lads. They made it a lot easier for me.
“We constantly took wickets, and they never got momentum. You could see that with the way they went about their innings.
“After drawing the first five Championship games, we wanted to get the ball rolling against Derby on Saturday and here. That’s always how you want to win games.
"It's always nice to start well and feel confident going into the rest of the games.
"It's a shame for some of the lads who played last game and missed out, but the quality of our team is unbelievable. Jos (Buttler) is coming back in next week.
“It's going to make it tough for anyone to come close to us if we play our best cricket."
Nottinghamshire Outlaws will be the next challenge when they visit Emirates Old Trafford on Saturday in the Vitality Blast.
Ken Grime
Photos: George Franks