Foxes inflict rare defeat on Outlaws
COUNTY SURVIVE WOBBLE TO OVERHAUL NEIGHBOURS’ SCORE
Vitality Blast, North Group Leicestershire Foxes (177-8) beat Nottinghamshire Outlaws (173 all out) by two wickets
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Outlaws, already assured of a home quarterfinal, suffered only a second defeat of the season in the Vitality Blast as bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire Foxes won by two wickets with two balls to spare.
Josh Inglis and Arron Lilley were joint top-scorers with 42.
Though the Foxes suffered some jitters after needing 35 from 25 balls and six off the last over, Naveen-ulHaq hit back-to-back fours off former Leicestershire fast bowler Zak Chappell to get them over line.
The Foxes had dismissed Nottinghamshire for 173 in 19.2 overs, Naveen picking up three for 33 and Colin Ackermann three for 35.
Joe Clarke hit 57 in 27 balls and Ben Duckett 45 off 27, but the Outlaws lost their last six wickets for 22 runs, Lilley holding four outfield catches and Naveen taking three wickets in seven balls.
Ackermann claimed an early blow for the Foxes after winning the toss when Alex Hales hit a full toss straight to deep midwicket but Clarke launched Gavin Griffiths for back-to-back sixes and Naveen for three consecutive fours as the Outlaws ended the Powerplay on 62 for one.
Clarke struck two more sixes off Ben Mike as he reached 50 from 24 balls and cleared long-on for a fifth six as Ackermann returned, only to follow Hales in finding Lilley at deep midwicket.
Three fours in a row by Duckett off Ackermann advanced the total to 110 for two at halfway.
Lilley then applied the brakes with the ball, conceding only 20 in his four overs of off-spin and dismissing Mullaney as the Outlaws innings fell apart.
The Foxes lost Rishi Patel early but with Inglis hitting sixes off Dane Paterson, Chappell and Matt Carter and Lilley another off Samit Patel the home side were ahead of what was needed at 75 for one after six.
Inglis and Lilley fell in turn to Harrison, both perhaps guilty of taking liberties with the young leg-spinner.
Scares followed for the home crowds as Harry Swindells was caught behind, Ackermann sliced to short third man, Lewis Hill ramped straight to short fine leg, Louis Kimber was caught at midwicket and Callum Parkinson at cover.
But Naveen picked up four off the edge before pulling Chappell for the winning boundary.
Naveen-ul-Haq said: “I was sitting in the dressing room at 15 overs when we needed a run a ball to win and thinking it was a walk in the park and suddenly two wickets fell and I needed to get my pads on.
“But I felt confident going out and though my first boundary was lucky because it spun and caught the edge, the second was a good one.
“I’m happy to have contributed to a team that is like a family for all of us and happy that we came out winners today.
“It is just a shame that we couldn’t qualify for the knock-out stages
but hopefully we can finish the season on a high against Worcestershire.”