Leicestershire spoil Edgbaston party
Leicestershire took the runners-up spot in the Friends Life t20 North Group when their five-wicket victory put a dampener on the opening of Warwickshire's £32million pavilion at Edgbaston
15-Jul-2011
Leicestershire took the runners-up spot in the Friends Life t20 North Group when their five-wicket victory put a dampener on the opening of Warwickshire's £32million pavilion at Edgbaston. The Bears' least successful campaign in Twenty20 cricket stuttered to a conclusion as the new permanent floodlights - which were used for the first time - lit up Leicestershire's 10th victory in 16 games.
A crowd of around 10,000 saw Warwickshire post a total of 166 for 8 but half of the fans had gone home when Leicestershire were set a reduced target of 133 in 15 overs following a downpour between the innings.
Josh Cobb got them up and running with a quickfire 28 before he was caught behind off Chris Woakes and it was far from a terminal setback when Will Jefferson and Abdul Razzaq departed in the next over from Jeetan Patel. James Taylor, a century-maker at Edgbaston in an early-season CB40 meeting, joined Andrew McDonald in a superbly paced partnership.
Taylor top-edged Keith Barker to backward square leg after making 49 out of 90 in nine overs and McDonald, who went past 500 runs in this season's competition, was brilliantly caught at long off by Rikki Clarke for 40 in the last over from Woakes. With five still wanted, Wayne White kept his nerve and pulled a six over mid-wicket to win the match with a ball to spare.
The home side had made a flying start when Varun Chopra (24) and Neil Carter (20) took 30 runs from two overs by Razzaq and Cobb. The onslaught - which included seven fours and a six by the openers from the first 20 balls - was checked when both batsmen got themselves out attempting to sweep the left-arm spinner, Claude Henderson.
However this was only brief respite for Leicestershire before the left-handed pair Jim Troughton and William Porterfield stepped up the tempo again in a stand of 71 from only 46 deliveries. The blitz peaked with 21 runs in an over off Jigar Naik before Leicestershire found a way of stemming the tide.
The canny Henderson completed his stint with three for 25 as McDonald held a swirling chance from Porterfield (37) in the third-man area and the Australian was the bowler when Troughton holed out at long off after hitting five fours and a six in making 46 from 32 balls.
White, the most economical of the seamers, removed Clarke, and McDonald held two more catches as Razzaq made up for his early mauling by taking three wickets in his last two overs.