MATCH REPORT: Lancashire outfoxed as Leicestershire win by 95 runs
Superb centuries by Rishi Patel and Colin Ackermann led Leicestershire to their highest-ever List A total of 411 for six as the Foxes clinched a resounding 95-run victory against Lancashire with skipper Keaton Jennings making 127 of his side’s 316.
The result takes the visitors to the top of the Metro Bank One Day Cup Group A table while Lancashire remain two points behind the top spot and next face unbeaten Hampshire on Tuesday at Emirates Old Trafford.
Patel and Sol Budinger produced a record first wicket partnership as Leicestershire made the perfect start after winning the toss on an excellent batting surface and taking advantage of the short boundary on the Stretford side of the ground.
The pair plundered 159 off the opening 21 overs, beating the previous best of 156 from matches between these two teams for the first wicket by Gehan Mendis and Graeme Fowler in 1989.
Budinger took early advantage of the short boundary, twice hoisting Will Williams for six and later swinging Jack Blatherwick over deep backward square on the longer side in reaching an exhilarating 33-ball fifty.
But after batting so well, Budinger perished to a Tom Aspinwall full toss, hitting it straight to Tom Bailey on the long-off boundary for 61-ball 81 that included nine fours.
Patel tucked into the bowling as well, punishing Jack Morley three times with sixes over the short boundary to add to a delightful straight drive for six off Aspinwall.
The Foxes’ remaining opener quickly became the mainstay of the innings after the departure of Budinger, reaching his fifty from 48 balls and going to his second List A century from 91 balls when driving Balderson through midwicket for his 10th four.
Lancashire hit back briefly by taking two wickets; Lewis Hill caught at deep mid-wicket for 7 by Blatherwick off Balderson’s third delivery, and Peter Handscomb caught at mid-off by Jennings off Blatherwick for two to leave Leicestershire 189 for three in the 27th over.
But the visitors responded in fine fashion, Patel and Colin Ackermann hammering 110 off the next 13 overs and putting both bowling and fielding under pressure.
There was little room for error on such a good wicket and the Leicestershire pair took full advantage of some wayward stuff from the Red Rose attack during the closing overs.
Patel was dropped at long-on on 127, but that should not detract from an excellent innings that contained an array of fine shots around the wicket with the Leicestershire opener hitting 161 – the Foxes' highest one-day innings against another county – before carving Blatherwick into the hands of Jennings at mid-off in the 40th over.
Wiaan Mulder edged Blatherwick behind for 8 and Louis Kimber was well caught by George Bell at deep midwicket off Williams for 15 but Ackermann drove Leicestershire on remorselessly, hitting 5 sixes and 6 fours in a blistering display of powerful hitting.
The visitors added 107 from the final ten overs, during which Blatherwick was removed from the attack midway through the 44th over after bowling a second full pitch delivery over waist height.
Ackermann batted through to the end of the innings finishing unbeaten on exactly 100 from only 62 balls and Tom Scriven 20 not out from 15 balls.
The Foxes total of 411 was the second highest conceded by Lancashire in List A matches.
Keaton Jennings led a positive Lancashire response that saw 74 runs arrive from the ten over powerplay – the Lancashire captain hitting 9 fours in reaching his fifty from 39 balls – but losing George Bell for 14 after he cut Chris Wright hard to Budinger at gully.
Josh Bohannon perished for 10 three balls into the 11th over, top edging a pull off Scriven that was caught close to the wicket by Mulder.
Dane Vilas quickly put Lancashire back on the front foot by cracking a 32-ball 57 that included seven fours and two sixes, the first hit over long-on off Scriven and the second flicked imperiously over backward square off Mulder.
But the loss of three wickets, including two run outs in quick succession, saw Vilas depart in the 20th over, Balderson (for 10) in the 23rd and Matty Hurst lbw for 2 to debutant Uttam Ramji to leave Lancashire on 181 for five at halfway and with a mountain to climb.
They never stopped trying with Aspinwall clubbing Ramji for six but then reverse sweeping Ackermann to Patel at gully for 16, while Blatherwick gave Ackermann a return catch having made 3 with Lancashire 214 for seven in the 30th over.
Despite the loss of wickets, Jennings battled on to reach his sixth one-day century from 94 balls while Bailey hit one six and six fours to register his maiden one-day fifty in an entertaining cameo that took just 34 balls in a fine partnership of 80 – Lancashire’s highest for the eighth wicket against Leicestershire.
Having hit consecutive straight sixes off Ramji, Jennings finally perished for 127 hitting Ramji to Ackermann at deep midwicket and Bailey fell for a career-best 60 when caught by Ramji off Wright.
Williams holed out off Ramji to give the 18 year-old his third wicket with Lancashire 316 all out in the 43rd over.
“It was a good surface, where you are not certain what a par score is because it was so good. But we felt confident of chasing it down,” said Red Rose skipper Keaton Jennings.
“We were up with the rate most of the way through but lost wickets at regular intervals. That put us well down.
“At half time the boys were positive about the chase.“
That positivity was evident the way Lancashire set about their target only for a couple of run outs to derail the innings halfway through.
“The partnership with Dane was going well and if we’d carried it on for another eight to ten overs who knows we could have been,” said Jennings. “It’s one of those things that happens and at the end of the day we’ve come up short.
“I think we bowled alright given the conditions. We didn’t take regular wickets which could have stemmed the flow and made our innings easier.”
And hitting a fine century hadn’t eased Jennings disappointment with today’s outcome.
“I want to win games,” he said.
“Walking away from Blackpool having got one run but having won the game was awesome. To get a hundred in a losing cause today is rather bitter than sweet. Winning games of cricket is my bottom line.”
But the Lancashire captain is delighted with the recent form from his predecessor, with Dane Vilas hitting a third consecutive half century today.
“Dane is one of the best cricketers around the world,” he said.
“The way he strikes the ball and the way he reads the situation and puts pressure back on the opposition. And the way he talks around the changing room, he’s one of the best blokes around.
“It’s awesome to see him doing well, it’s just a pity we both didn’t really kick on today.”
Ken Grime
Photos: Barry Mitchell & Dan Adams