Foxes Men Earn Comfortable One Day Warm Up Match Win

Leicestershire’s men took some time to score quickly with Patel and Sheikh both making considered half centuries. De Swardt made the innings defining knock, blasting 91 in 78 deliveries to take the Foxes to 282/9.

 

The Challengers’ batters struggled against the Foxes attack with only Evitts showing major resistance as he hit 57. Scriven impressed the most, taking four wickets as Leicestershire bowled the visitors out for 134, taking the victory by 148 runs.

 

The sun poked through the early morning cloud at Uptonsteel Grace Road as the captains emerged for the toss which was won by home skipper Eskinazi who elected to bat first.

 

Leicestershire Foxes openers Patel and Eskinazi made a steadfast start to the innings, scoring 43 in the opening powerplay. However, the latter had his off stump removed by Dodds at the start of the eleventh over, attempting to flick him into the leg side – Eskinazi dismissed for 11.

 

Early in the fifteenth over, Foreman drew some spin out of the pitch, resulting in Gumbs edging to J. Lincoln at first slip for 13.

 

Patel showed his experience on his way to a controlled half century in 57 deliveries. A few overs later, he was caught at square leg by J. Lincoln, sweeping a Hinley full toss for 59. In the following over, Tattersall was bowled by Haddow for 5.

 

Debutant Sheikh took over from Patel by making fifty himself in 64 balls; his innings came to an end in the thirty ninth over as he sliced an expansive drive and was caught at deep point by Scott, falling to Haddow for 51.

 

In the forty fifth over, Cox pulled Hinley to Keeling-Wright at deep mid-wicket, departing for 17, before Scriven was stumped by D. Lincoln for a duck having missed a reverse sweep against Scott in the following over.

 

At the end of the forty eighth over, Wood top-edged a hook to Keeling-Wright at mid-wicket as Dodds picked up his second wicket of the innings.

 

De Swardt held the Foxes innings together, scoring a seemingly necessary 91 before he was run out by Dodds on the final delivery of Leicestershire’s fifty overs – the hosts setting 283 runs to win for the Challengers men.

 

De Swardt was straight back into the action with ball in hand, producing an excellent piece of fielding to run Privett out for a quickfire 18 in 12 balls, reacting quickly in his follow through with a diving throw.

 

In the ninth over, Scriven picked up two wickets in two balls, first removing Church LBW for 11 before Scott edged behind to Cox for a golden duck. In the following over, D. Lincoln hooked de Swardt only as far as Sheikh at square-leg, departing for 0.

 

Four overs later, academy bowler, Theo Marshall, squared Foreman up, finding a leading edge that reached Patel in the covers, removing him for 12. An over later, Scriven trapped J. Lincoln LBW for 4.

 

Evitts and Hinley provided some resistance until the latter flashed a drive outside the off stump against Scriven, edging to Cox behind the stumps for 11. At the end of the twenty fourth over, Evitts brought up his half century by taking two in 61 deliveries.

 

The Challengers didn’t last much longer as Ajaz Patel bowled Dodds for 3 in the following over, with Evitts also being bowled by Ajaz Patel in his next over – the Challengers top scorer falling for 57.

 

Rishi Patel rounded off the match in the following over as Keeling-Wright top-edged an attempted heave into the leg side straight up in the air with Cox taking the catch to dismiss the visitors for 134, meaning Leicestershire won by 148 runs.