Rishi Patel’s Record-Breaking Century Powers Foxes to Eight-Wicket Win

Rishi Patel struck a belligerent 115 off just 61 balls to help Leicestershire Foxes chase down 247 and beat Northamptonshire Steelbacks comprehensively by eight wickets in this Metro Bank One Day Cup match at Wantage Road.

Patel, who was dropped before scoring, smashed 13 fours and five sixes, breaking the record for the fastest List A century in Leicestershire’s history, which was previously jointly held by Darren Maddy and Lewis Hill. It was also the third fastest List A century at Wantage Road.

Ben Mike hit an unbeaten 71, his second List A century to take the Foxes to victory with 11.1 overs to spare.

In the Steelbacks innings, Ian Holland’s triple strike removed the top order, while Alex Green also claimed three wickets.

George Bartlett struck 66, his fourth successive List A half-century and shared a 77-run stand with Stuart van der Merwe (47) but Northamptonshire failed to post a sizeable total for the third game running, bowled out with 27 balls to spare.

Earlier Holland jagged one back to bowl Gus Miller, moved one away to square up and bowl Aadi Sharma and then drew the edge of skipper Nathan McSweeney’s bat.

Ricardo Vasconcelos (46) though hit two boundaries off Holland and sent an offside Ben Green delivery over square-leg for six as he rebuilt with Bartlett, the pair adding 57. Bartlett had a nervy start, slashing just wide of backward point and almost chopping on. Unafraid to take the bowlers on, he uppercut Alex Green for consecutive sixes and struck Ajaz Patel straight down the ground.

Vasconcelos pulled effectively but the shot proved his undoing when he picked out the fine-leg fielder off Alex Green.

van der Merwe played positively against Ben Mike, pulling and working off his hip, before reverse sweeping Patel. He departed when he skied an attempted pull off Alex Green.

Bartlett swept Patel to reach 50, but failed to kick on, edging Alex Green behind, quickly followed by Luke Procter, brilliantly run out by a direct throw from sub-fielder Sheridan Gumbs.

Lewis McManus picked up the pace, smashing Patel over long-on, but skied an attempted pull, Patel running to take the return catch as he took the last three wickets for three runs.

Rishi Patel was dropped low at second slip by Bartlett off the second delivery he faced from Procter. He quickly made the most of his reprieve, hitting consecutive boundaries off Procter, swinging Tian Louw over deep midwicket and striking Procter straight for six.

Patel smote Miller for a six and three fours off one over, but Indian international leg-spinner Yuzi Chahal and Dom Leech managed to stem the flow momentarily before he accelerated once more. He struck Chahal for a huge straight six and brought up his century off 53 balls, breaking Maddy and Hill’s record by one ball. Barlett finally caught him in the deep off Procter at backward square-leg.

Scoring slowed dramatically, Northamptonshire breaking through again when Stephen Eskinazi was stumped off Chahal.

But Leicestershire were well set with the required rate just over three an over and could afford to play no-risk cricket and see off Chahal.

Mike took on the more inexperienced seamers, swinging Miller over midwicket for six and pulling Louw for another maximum, alongside eight fours.