Foxes land impressive win at Chester-le-Street

Date: Sunday 23 May 2010

A high quality all-round performance from Leicestershire Foxes ensured they returned to winning ways in the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition at Durham Dynamos today.

After Sam Cliff excelled in taking 3-27 in helping to restrict the Dynamos to 189-9 from their allocation, the Foxes raced to their victory target inside 26 overs for the loss of three wickets with openers Jacques du Toit and Andrew McDonald in scintillating form.

du Toit made an extremely aggressive 64 from 37 balls and McDonald an equally hard-hit 46 from 34 deliveries as the duo shared a stand of 88 in just nine overs in the process.

Paul Nixon (33*), Josh Cobb (21) and James Taylor (20*) also chipped in to ensure an impressive victory was gained at the Riverside.

Earlier in the afternoon, Nadeem Malik - who went on to take 2-36 - and Matthew Boyce were included in the Foxes side and they replaced Nathan Buck and Greg Smith from the eleven that lost to Scotland last time out.

Phil Mustard won the toss in his first home game as captain and Cliff helped to set the tone by removing the new skipper and Michael di Venuto early in the piece and everybody then chipped in to keep Durham to under five runs per over.

Mustard was first to fall by being caught at mid on by Claude Henderson off Cliff for seven in the sixth.

di Venuto was caught in the slips by McDonald in Cliff’s following over leaving Durham struggling on 28-2.

The hosts passed 50 in the 15th over with Ben Harmison and Dale Benkenstein at the crease but the South African was dismissed shortly after as Cliff struck again. The semaer was enjoying himself and had Benkenstein caught at mid wicket by du Toit for 12.

Henderson (1-28) came on to bowl the 18th over and snared Ben Stokes lbw for 4 with the last ball of that opening over and Dynamos were now in trouble on 62-4.

Harmison was proving a threat for the hosts in making 48 and he guided Durham past the hundred mark. However, he was also caught at mid wicket by du Toit off McDonald (1-43) as the Foxes kept chipping away.

Gareth Breese is well-known for his ability to add lusty blows at the back end of an innings and he participated in a useful partnership with Gordon Muchall. The pair scored more than 40 apiece to give some late momentum.

Breese hit six fours and added 42 before he was caught by Boyce off Malik at deep mid wicket. That left the score on 171-6 with two overs left.

Three more wickets fell in the closing stages and 18 runs were added in the process.

Liam Plunkett was caught by McDonald off the impressive Malik and the Australian then caught Muchall off captain Matthew Hoggard (1-38) after tallying 43 from 55 deliveries

Mitchell Claydon was the last man to go. The bowler was run out as he and Scott Borthwick (1*) looked to sneak a second run off the final delivery of the innings.

du Toit and McDonald then started like a house on fire as they smashed fourteen boundaries from the opening powerplay.

du Toit was particularly brutal in a Neil Killeen over by striking two leg-side sixes and both he and McDonald found the boundary with regularity as the foxes made light of the chase.

The batsman made an outstanding 25-ball fifty, which included seven fours and two maximums.

McDonald also looked set for his maiden Leicestershire half-century but fell four runs short after a hard-hit knock.

The all-rounder smashed the ball to all parts but eventually fell on the deep square-leg boundary to Breese.

Cobb came to the wicket and was also busy but he lost du Toit in the 14th over. The batsman was caught by Harmison on the boundary off the bowling of Plunkett.

Cobb moved to 21 from 19 balls during a pleasant knock but he became Plunkett’s second wicket with the score on 134.

The wickets were not stalling progress though and Taylor and Nixon saw the side home with an unbroken 56-run stand.

Taylor made an unbeaten 20 from 22 balls with a four and Nixon was also busy in making 33 not out from 44 balls.

The left-hander stroked five fours in his innings and the Foxes had fourteen overs in reserve by the time the pair had guided the side past the target.

It was an excellent all-round performance and will give the lads plenty of confidence as they enter nine days of cricket in ten days at Grace Road.

The hectic period begins with a four-day game against Glamorgan starting tomorrow (11am), and after having Friday off, it’s Middlesex at home in the LV=County Championship starting on Saturday.

The Foxes then kick off the Friends Provident t20 campaign against Derbyhire Falcons on Wednesday June 4.

The team really value your support so please make sure you get down to Grace Road and cheer on the Foxes as they look to build on today’s great win.