Rain wrecks Afridi vs Akmal stand-off

Bad light forced the umpires to call off a match shortened by rain to 11 overs a side before a positive result was possible at Grace Road, ruining anticipation of a clash between two Pakistan team-mates - Shahid Afridi and Umar Akmal.

Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove won a delayed toss, but only 1.1 overs were possible before heavy rain caused a further hour's delay.

When play resumed, in drizzle and increasing gloom, umpires Jeff Evans and Nick Cooke decided there was sufficient time for an 11-over match.

Richard Levi and Josh Cobb put together an opening partnership of 31 for the Steelbacks, but Foxes' left-arm fast bowler Atif Sheik dismissed both with successive balls, hitting towards midwicket where Tom Wells took two excellent catches, running across the soaking outfield and sliding to hold the ball on the full.

Ben Duckett picked up the pace for the Steelbacks, hitting two straight sixes in going to 39 off 23 balls, with Wells particularly expensive, conceding 28 runs from his two overs. Clint McKay, bowling a series of slower balls of varying lengths, conceded just a single from the final over.

With the light worsening rapidly, Leicestershire lost a wicket to the first ball of their innings, Ned Eckersley flashing at a Rory Kleinveldt delivery and edging to Alex Wakely at first slip.

Kevin O'Brien was bowled by Mohammad Azharullah, but after just 3.1 overs, the umpires decided the light was too bad to continue.