Cricket: http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Leicestershire-c807 by 3 wickets in Friends Provident Pro T-20
Friends Provident T-20 tournament got underway in England, where Worcestershire beat Leicestershire by 3 wickets at the Grace road ground Leicestershire.
Worcestershire won the toss and chose to field first, knowing that their strength lies in their bowling.
Leicestershire got off to a decent start with the openers putting on a breezy stand of 48 runs from just 5 and a half overs, Australian test batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Brad-Hodge-c1184, who has been scoring heaps of runs in English county cricket for years, once again looked in good nick. He was especially sharp on the cover region, driving and cutting anything slightly full and wide.
His partner Toit was not far behind but he was more concerned in keeping the strike rotating than going for the booming drives.
Hodge was dismissed when the score was 48 in the 6th over, he was caught behind off the bowling of Andrew, and Hodge scored 22 runs from 17 balls with 4 fours.
Next, man in, Jefferson did not last long and was knocked over by the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 left arm spinner Jayasuriya for just 3 runs from 6 balls.
The other opener Tiot also fell soon, after when he was caught in the covers by Jaques off the bowling of Cameron, he scored 21 runs from 26 balls with just 2 fours.
And after a good start Leicestershire lost their way as the 4th wicket did not take long, Nixon was run out from a direct through from Jayasuriya, Nixon scored just 9 runs from 7 balls with one 4.
From 48 for no loss Leicestershire were down to 67 for 4. Moreover, it became 80 for 5 when Benning was knocked over by Ali off a big in swinger. Benning scored only 3 runs from 6 balls.
White and Cobb then finally put together some sort of a partnership and scored 23 runs from 4 overs, before Cobb was out LBW for Ali’s 2nd wicket, Cobb scored 15 runs from 16 balls with a single boundary.
White then started playing the big shots and got 2 boundaries away in one over of Ali, but played one shot too many and was caught in the deep by Kerveeze for Ali’s 3rd wicket of the match, White scored 26 runs from 22 balls with 4 boundaries. Malik was the last man to be dismissed for Leicestershire as they ended their innings at 142 for 8 in the allotted 20 overs.
The target was not big but still gave Leicestershire something to bowl at, but Worcestershire started solidly and the openers put on 41 for the first wicket scoring at 8 runs per over.
Worcestershire also had an Australian test player opening their innings in shape of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Phil-Jaques-c2182 and he was partnered by another left handed international Sanath Jayasuriya.
Jaysuriya was in his elements early and started pounding the Leicestershire attack over cover, while Jaques was more on the classic side of batting and kept the ball along the carpet.
The stand was broken with the score at 41 when Jaques was caught in the covers by White off the bowling of the forgotten England bowler Mathew Hoggard; Jaques scored 32 runs from 27 balls with 5 fours.
Next man to go was Jayasuriya with the score at 60 in the 9th over, he was caught by Hodge off the bowling of Henderson, Jayasuriya scored 25 from 17 balls with 2 fours and a six.
Leicestershire kept plugging away at the wickets and kept the game alive, while Worcestershire were looking to find one good partnership in the middle to see them home.
Worcestershire’s win was their first away from New Road this season and hauled them off the foot of the North Group.
Tags: