Stone, Crook finish off Leicestershire

Olly Stone and Steven Crook led a superb Northamptonshire bowling display as they got off the mark at the third attempt in the Royal London Cup with a 55-run win over Leicestershire at Wantage Road.

Stone's burst of three wickets in three overs at the start of the second innings was backed up by Crook, who made two crucial breakthroughs when Leicestershire were moving their chase along well.

Stone ripped into Leicestershire to leave them 7 for 3 chasing 245. Angus Robson and Mark Cosgrove were both caught behind and then Aadil Ali was comprehensively beaten by a full straight delivery that knocked out his middle stump.

Ned Eckersley led a very steady recovery with Niall O'Brien who lifted a drive over mid-off from David Willey and began to impose himself on the bowling before Crook went wider on the crease from around the wicket and found a little extra bounce that produced an edge behind and ended a stand of 76 for the fourth wicket.

Crook also broke the next partnership between Eckersley and Tom Wells. The pair added 63 in 14 overs and Eckersley flicked a boundary to fine leg when 143 were needed from the final 20 overs to bring up his battling fifty in 88 balls but he then chipped Crook to midwicket for 71. Four balls later, Crook trapped Wells lbw and Leicestershire found little from their lower order.

It was an excellent defence from Northamptonshire who were setting a score for the first time in the competition. But they again found themselves in trouble early after two poor starts in both their opening games.

Being 7 for 2 this time was not the primary cause of what appeared a below-par total. Well set at 176 for 3 in the 37th over, they lost 6 for 43 as all the lower order fell cheaply.

David Willey smashed Rob Sayer straight to extra-cover, Crook flicked strongly off his legs only to find deep square and Rory Kleinveldt was bowled playing from the crease. Collectively they made just 20 runs and their failure saw Northants slide to 219 for 9 before Stone managed to belt 19 in 13 balls to give Northants what proved to be a defendable score.

They might not have got there without Josh Cobb. He played a delicate reverse sweep among his 68-ball half-century and it was reflective of the circumspect effort required to get Northants going as they feared another top-order collapse after two early wickets for Clint McKay.

Cobb shared 80 for the third wicket with Ben Duckett, who made 30 before skying a catch to mid-off, and then 89 with Rob Keogh who made just his third List A half-century. Keogh got off the mark with a flicked boundary and went on to pass fifty in 52-balls.