SECOND XI MATCH REPORT: Leicestershire win both games in Second XI T20 finale
Leicestershire enjoyed a double success in today’s Second XI T20 doubleheader against Lancashire, winning game two by 29 runs after earlier enjoying a seven-wicket victory in a rain-hit opening match.
The hosts set Lancashire a challenging 186-run target in the late afternoon game and despite maiden T20 fifties by Harry Singh and Jack Blatherwick, the visitors came up short.
After Lancashire had won the toss, Leicestershire opener Harry Swindells hit 7 fours before being bowled for 28 by a lovely yorker from left arm seamer Ollie Sutton and Sam Evans, starved of the strike, followed for 2 when pulling his fifth delivery faced off Blatherwick to Josh Boyden at long-on to leave the hosts 39 for two in the fifth over.
Rehan Ahmed and Nikhil Gorantla both hit a brace of sixes in a punishing 83-run partnership off 8 overs before the former skied a return catch to Boyden for 38.
Boyden then caught Gorantia at gully for 47 from 32 balls off Sutton (three for 29) and had Lewis Hill caught at deep midwicket for 1 to leave Leicestershire 143 for five midway through the 16th over.
Liam Trevaskis (31 off 20 balls) and Sam Wood (22 off 10) finished strongly to take their side to 185 for seven and that proved to be sufficient.
Lancashire lost Sav Perera (4) and George Bell (5) inside two overs of their reply but Singh and Blatherwick both hit out to reach their maiden half centuries in this competition in a 101-run partnership that kept Red Rose hopes alive.
Blatherwick hit back-to-back sixes early in his innings as Lancashire reached the halfway stage needing 103 runs off 60 balls but once both departed within the space of five balls the visitors reply faltered.
Singh was caught at third man for 51 off 44 balls and Blatherwick at backward square for 52 off 31 balls hitting out at Roman Walker, followed next ball by Will Williams run out for 1 with the visitors 119 for five and needing 66 off 33 balls.
Joe Moores (12) and George Harris (16) perished taking on that steep challenge and the Leicestershire bowlers closed out the win with some comfort.
TEAMS
LEICESTERSHIRE
Harry Swindells (wkt), Sam Evans (capt), Lewis Hill, Liam Trevaskis, Rehan Ahmed, Nikhil Gorantla, Sam Wood, Roman Walker, Matt Salisbury, Pip Jackson, Ali Farooq.
LANCASHIRE
George Bell (wkt), Sav Perera, Harry Singh, Joe Moores, Jack Blatherwick, George Harris, Will Williams (capt), Ollie Sutton, Josh Boyden, James Dunn, Louis Backhouse.
GAME ONE
In a game reduced by rain to 13 overs per side, the hosts took early wickets after putting Lancashire into bat in damp conditions on a slow pitch, and the Red Rose side never really gained enough momentum to post a challenging total.
With little choice but to swing the bat from the start, Lancashire were quickly 13 for three before the 3.5 overs powerplay ended and soon 31 for five by the start of the seventh over.
Harry Singh (19) and captain Will Williams-who hit five of his side’s eight boundaries before being out off the final ball for 31 off 24 balls-helped push the total to 84 for nine from their 13 overs, with the Leicestershire quartet of Matt Salisbury, Tom Scriven, Sam Wood and Roman Walker each claiming two wickets.
Jack Blatherwick struck an early blow by having Harry Swindells caught at point from a miscue for 8 but home skipper Sam Evans struck two sixes in making 25 off 17 balls to keep Leicestershire ahead of the required rate before edging behind off Harry Birkman.
A partnership of 43 in 6 overs between Lewis Hill (18) and Liam Trevaskis (23 not out) then took the hosts to within three runs of their target.
Hill then sliced Josh Boyden to backward point but Scriven hit the next ball for four to seal victory with eight balls to spare.
That concludes the T20 competition for the Second XI who are next in action after the Metro Bank Cup competition when they play Derbyshire in the Second Eleven Championship at Duffield on 26-29 August.
TEAMS
LEICESTERSHIRE
Harry Swindells (wkt), Sam Evans (capt), Lewis Hill, Liam Trevaskis, Nikhil Gorantla, Tom Scriven, Sam Wood, Roman Walker, Matt Salisbury, Pip Jackson, Ali Farooq.
LANCASHIRE
George Bell (wickets), Sav Perera, Harry Singh, Joe Moores, Jack Blatherwick, George Harris, Will Williams (capt), Ollie Sutton, Josh Boyden, Harry Birkman, James Dunn.