du Plessis takes game away from Foxes

Date: Sunday 31 May 2009

Leicestershire Foxes (0 pts) 147-3 (Allenby 71*, Dippenaar 39*) lost to Lancashire Lightning (2 pts) 151-3 (du Plessis 78*, Gurney 2-21) by seven wickets.

Francois du Plessis’ brilliant unbeaten 78 helped Lancashire Lightning to their fourth Twenty20 win on the trot this season against Leicestershire Foxes at a sun-drenched Grace Road, despite Jim Allenby's career-best 71*.

du Plessis’ innings came from just 49 balls with 13 fours and two sixes, and steered his side past County’s total of 147-3 with seven wickets in hand and 21 balls to spare in front of the television cameras.

Leicestershire's total was built around Allenby's personal best of 71*, and the opener deserved that feat following a super knock.

Captain Boeta Dippenaar also added a quickfire unbeaten 39 from just 25 balls as the duo shared 70 in just 42 balls in the second half of the innings.

However, the total was not enough on the excellent wicket once du Plessis got his eye in, although the team fought back impressively in the field at one stage to threaten running things close.

The Lightning were off to a start that mirrored their name, as Tom Smith and Paul Horton had the score on 35-0 after three overs.

However, Harry Gurney bowled beautifully to take 2-21 from his four overs up front, and when James Taylor instigated a super run out, Lancs were 47-3 after six.

Despite that stutter, du Plessis and fellow countryman Ashwell Prince added 104 in 65 deliveries, with the South African international anchoring the reply with an unbeaten 29 from 22 balls.

Earlier in the afternoon, Allenby made his runs from 54 balls with six fours and three sixes, and it was vital he batted through the innings after a disciplined start by Lancs.

The visitors bowled to an impressive gameplan throughout, opening with leg-spinner du Plessis as they had done in previous games this term.

His first over cost just four runs, and former Foxes loanee Smith's opener went for the same.

du Plessis was then nipped out of the attack by captain Glen Chapple, who conceded six from his first over.

Saj Mahmood then delivered a massive blow by sending down a wicket-maiden, with the fourth ball of the over clipping HD Ackerman's leg stump to end his stay for seven.

That left the score on 14-1 from four, but Allenby struck County's first boundary in the fifth, before striking a well-placed pull for four in the next.

The batsmen then cut a four off Gary Keedy in the seventh before striking a four over mid-wicket off Stephen Parry in the eighth.

Allenby’s innings was gathering momentum nicely, and he landed a maximum over mid-wicket in the ninth off Keedy.

Taylor scampered well in support of Allenby, but boundaries were at a premium. The youngster fell for 7 trying to break the shackles, as an attempted lap-sweep off Smith backfired.

That bought Paul Nixon to the crease, and spin was immediately whipped out of the attack as Lancs looked to keep the screw tight.

That couldn’t prevent the keeper bringing up his 1,000th career Twenty20 run in the 11th with a single off Steve Croft, and Nixon then found the boundary for the first time in the next, finding the mid-wicket boundary off Smith.

The batsman struck a similar shot off Croft in the 13th, but was strangled down the leg-side by the medium-pacer going for a huge pull. Prince took the catch down at long leg to leave the team on 77-3.

Allenby and Dippenaar needed to up the tempo, which was always going to be tough in the face of deadly accurate bowling.

The duo delivered with some powerful striking in the closing stages. Allenby struck a six long on to bring up his important half-century from 43 balls, and the all-rounder also picked up fours through the covers and mid-wicket.

Dippenaar was also in destructive form, pulling a boundary over short fine leg to get the 18th over off to a flier.

He followed that up with a huge pull over mid-wicket and smashed an equally big straight six off Mahmood.

That demonstrated how fortunes can change in the extreme in Twenty20 in a short space of time, as Mahmood sent down that most expensive of the innings – 18 were taken in all – to go alongside the most economical of the afternoon.

Allenby hit a pick-up for six in the 19th and Dippenaar hit a four over cover in the last to ensure the County finished with momentum.

That was quickly taken away by Lancs’ openers, but when Gurney struck twice in the fourth, it was game on.

Both openers fell to super catches, as Smith was held one-handed by Allenby at cover and Nixon took a good effort standing up after Horton feathered the left-arm seamer behind.

When du Plessis and Croft had a mix-up in the sixth, Taylor took advantage with a great piece of fielding at backward point and the Foxes had a foothold in the game.

That was shortlived, though, as du Plessis took centre stage. The batsman was slow out of the blocks, scoring just 12 from his opening 22 balls.

However, he then scored a devastating 66 from his next 29, peppering the short boundaries on both sides of the wicket.

He used delicate touch, fine timing and sheer force along the way, and he saved the best to almost last, as his first boundary of three in what proved to be the final over of the game came right out of the screws through the covers.

du Plessis played all around the wicket, and with sensible support from Prince, the Lightning left Grace Road with eight points from eight and look the team to beat in the whole competition - let alone the group.

With a balanced batting line-up and lots of options with the ball being backed up by good fielding, Lightning look as though they have what it takes to go the distance, but a young Foxes side can take positives from the game to take into Wednesday's home match with Notts Outlaws.