RESULT
Group A, Worcester, August 19, 2012, Clydesdale Bank 40
(39/40 ov, T:224) 224/8

Leics won by 2 wickets (with 6 balls remaining)

Report

By 'eck, Eckersley assault brings victory

20-Aug-2012
Leicestershire 224 for 8 (Eckersley 72*) beat Worcestershire 223 for 9 by two wickets
Scorecard
Ned Eckersley gave Leicestershire a good chance of dodging an unwanted double of failure by smashing an unbeaten 72 from 44 balls to snatch an unlikely Clydesdale Bank 40 victory over Worcestershire at New Road.
With 92 wanted from the last 10 overs, the 23-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman transformed the game by clubbing seven sixes and two fours to see his side home by two wickets with an over to spare.
The victory took Leicestershire off the bottom of Group A, moving them a point above Worcestershire with one game to play, and gave them hope of avoiding a last-placed finish in both the CB40 and County Championship Division One, where they are currently 11 points adrift.
The race to beat Worcestershire's 223 for 9 seemed to be going against them when Leicestershire skipper Josh Cobb was bowled for 51, the second of two wickets in four balls from Daryl Mitchell.
This followed a valuable spell of two for 35 by leg-spinner Brett D'Oliveira as the visitors slumped to 107 for 6, but Eckersley suddenly wound up for a spectacular display of hitting.
One by one he took Worcestershire's bowlers apart, racing to his first limited-overs fifty from 29 balls in a seventh-wicket stand of 87 in 9.1 overs with Wayne White.
White was lbw to Jack Shantry for 22 but James Sykes (12 not out) kept his nerve with Eckersley and nudged the winning single in a shattering penultimate over for Nick Harrison.
The young paceman delivered two no-balls, one of which was driven into the press box window, while conceding the last 20 runs.
After losing the toss and being put into bat, Worcestershire openers Moeen Ali (30) and Vikram Solanki (41) gave their side a brisk start with 67 on the board before Eckersley held a brilliant catch to his left to remove Moeen.
Phil Hughes made only nine before finding mid-wicket off Sykes, the left-arm spinner who finished with two for 18 when Eckersley held another catch from Mitchell (five).
Solanki helped his side into three figures before White claimed his second wicket when Worcestershire's former captain, soon to depart for Surrey, failed to clear Nathan Buck at deep square leg.
Neil Pinner, who scored a career-best 82 against Lancashire, lifted the scoring rate with 31 until Buck took wickets in each of his last three overs.It might have been even better for Leicestershire but for Gareth Andrew's 28 from 21 balls.

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Leics Innings
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Clydesdale Bank 40
Group A
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
LANCS12920190.050
MIDDX12630150.778
GLOUC12550120.995
NED1256011-0.910
ESSEX1246010-0.185
LEICS123609-0.732
WORCS123708-0.011
Group B
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
HANTS12730160.754
SURR12630150.466
SOM12640140.385
NOTTS12650130.101
DURH12550120.262
GLAM123609-0.971
SCOT121805-1.359
Group C
TEAMMWLDPTNRR
SUSS12710181.012
WARKS12830170.660
KENT12720170.870
DERBS1245011-0.438
YORKS1247090.006
NHNTS121607-0.568
UNI121805-1.545