Leicestershire's late assault leaves Yorkshire floundering

Leicestershire 174 for 7 (Raine 48, Plunkett 2-23) beat Yorkshire 120 (Raine 3-7, K O'Brien 3-27) by 54 runs
Scorecard

Yorkshire Vikings were never in the hunt against Leicestershire Foxes who beat them by 54 runs with eight balls remaining in the NatWest T20 Blast at Headingley.

It was a disappointing start to the campaign for Yorkshire, who are desperate to do well in the competition this season under a new young captain in Alex Lees, but who drew only 6,000 to Headingley.

Leicestershire could feel delighted with the result after opening with a defeat to Northamptonshire last week.

Chasing a 175 victory target, Yorkshire failed to put a substantial stand together in a game which was dominated by Ben Raine and the O'Brien brothers, Kevin and Niall.

Raine top-scored with 48 before opening the bowling and capturing 3 for 7 in his 3.4 overs. Niall O'Brien powered his way to 39 while Kevin hit 21 and then took three for 27.

Yorkshire lost wickets at regular intervals and openers Adam Lyth and new one-day captain, Alex Lees, were both out inside the first five overs, Lyth driving Raine to mid-off and Lees turning Kevin O'Brien to leg-gully.

Only Will Rhodes showed any real form, coming in at 32 for 4 and smacking 45 with three fours and two sixes before departing at 109 for 9 by driving Neil Dexter to Tom Wells at long off, by which time the game was well and truly lost for Yorkshire.

A late flurry of sixes had revitalised the Foxes' innings with 102 coming off the final ten overs. It was off the fourth delivery of the 14th over that Niall O'Brien straight drove Lyth for the first six of the match but another eight were to clear the rope in the remaining overs for Leicestershire to close on a competitive 174 for seven.

All four of Niall O'Brian's boundary shots in his 39 off 21 balls came from six hits while Raine included two fours and two sixes in his 48 from 43 deliveries.

But Lewis Hill was responsible for the final flourish with three mid-wicket sixes in the last over from Ben Coad who gave away 22 runs, Hill ending unbeaten on 24 from just nine balls.

Yorkshire did not have their best night in the field as three catches were put down, the easiest being when Raine, who had just pulled Adil Rashid for two sixes, survived a simple chance to Liam Plunkett on the mid-wicket boundary.

Things began encouragingly for Yorkshire as Tim Bresnan, in his first appearance of the season after being sidelined with a calf muscle tear, started with a wicket maiden, Pettini forcing his fifth ball straight into the hands of Rhodes at point.

Bresnan's new ball partner, James Wainman, also enjoyed an early success on his T20 Blast debut. In Wainman's second over, Mark Cosgrove, who had struck 20 from 11 balls, was caught at deep square leg by Coad.

Bresnan and Plunkett each claimed two wickets but Leicestershire kept battling away and their destructive hitting late on proved to be decisive.