Arron Lilley makes light work of modest chase as Leicestershire roll Rapids

Leicestershire Foxes at last gave their supporters something to cheer as an eight-wicket win over bottom-of-the-table Worcestershire Rapids ended a run of four consecutive home defeats in the Vitality Blast North Group.

Ben Mike, Naveen-ul-Haq and Callum Parkinson shared the wickets with three apiece as the Rapids were restricted to a paltry 116 for 9 after electing to bat first, Kashif Ali's 24 in his fourth appearance a modest top score.

It was a total the Rapids, without Moeen Ali on England duty and Ben Cox ruled out by illness, were never likely to be able to defend and the Foxes cruised home with almost eight overs to spare with Arron Lilley smashing 12 fours and a six in an unbeaten 68 from 39 balls. His unbroken third-wicket stand of 101 with Nick Welch (41 not out) came off just 59 balls.

The night had begun with what Rapids fans hoped was a show of intent as Brett D'Oliveira slog-swept and cut Parkinson for six and four in the opening over but that was as good as it got in a dire batting show.

The left-arm spinner pushed one through to bowl the Rapids skipper next ball, before Naveen had Ed Pollock brilliantly caught at short third man off a thick edge with his first ball. Jack Haynes heaved Wiaan Mulder over midwicket for six but he holed out to mid-off, the third casualty of a powerplay that saw them 44 for 3.

Two more wickets for Parkinson, who bowled Colin Munro and had Ed Barnard stumped off a wide delivery, added to the visitors' woes and when Gareth Roderick found the fielder at wide long-on the Rapids were 61 for 6 in the 11th.

Dwayne Bravo and Kashif stopped the procession of wickets, but while they added 40 for the seventh wicket it took them 38 balls - a snail's pace in this format. Bravo clumped one six over midwicket off Rehan Ahmed but when he lofted Naveen over the long-off boundary the Afghan bowler gained revenge next ball with his 19th wicket of the campaign, finding the edge as the former West Indies captain drove.

Kashif fell victim to a fine, diving catch by Swindells behind the stumps off Mike, whose two overs at the death cost only eight runs and earned him a third wicket when Josh Baker chopped on.

Mitchell Stanley, a 21-year-old fast bowler making his debut, yorked Harry Swindells to claim a wicket with his first ball in senior cricket and Rishi Patel swung ambitiously at a ball from Pat Brown that bowled him as the Foxes lost two wickets in the first 14 balls of the powerplay.

But Welch - making his first appearance of the season as one of two changes in the Foxes' line-up - and Lilley made short work of the target, reaching 49 without further loss in the powerplay before getting after a disheartened Rapids attack with a flurry of boundaries, Lilley lofting Bravo over the straight boundary, taking three fours in one over off Stanley, whose evening ended with Lilley cracking the winning boundary over extra cover.