Scotland edge out Foxes

Date: Sunday 16 May 2010

Neil McCallum held his nerve as Scotland edged past Leicestershire Foxes with two balls to spare in a Clydesdale Bank 40 thriller at Grace Road.

When 16 runs were needed from the last seven balls, the Foxes looked to have wrestled back control of a nip-and-tuck affair. However, McCallum kept his cool to hit a six and four in that time to ensure the visitors won by four wickets.

McCallum built on good work by overseas player George Bailey (54) and Richie Berrington, who was named man-of-the-match by Sky after scoring 51 from just 52 balls.

Leicestershire Foxes had earlier posted 217-7 in an innings built around a 105-run stand between Jacques du Toit and James Taylor, who both made half-centuries.

Although that tally looked below par at the halfway stage, it was clear that it wasn’t a wicket for flamboyant strokeplay and at many stages during the reply, the score comparisons were virtually identical.

It was always going to be a close-run thing and credit has to go to Scotland, who did not let the pressure get to them and generally produced a disciplined display.

Although Scotland twice conceded five wides and gave away twenty runs in wayward bowling in total, they were generally hard to get away and would have been pleased to restrict the Foxes to under five-and-a-half runs per over.

Gordon Goudie was the pick of the attack with 3-45 and no bowler went for more than a run a ball. In total, only fifteen fours and two sixes were hit which demonstrated their scrooge-like approach.
　
Leicestershire Foxes welcomed Greg Smith into their side for the first time this season and Josh Cobb and Nathan Buck also came in from the team that lost to Durham. They replaced the injured duo Wayne White and Will Jefferson, while Jigar Naik sat this one out.

There was an early chance when Smith edged debutant Neil Laidlaw to Ryan Watson at slip but the ball went to ground. Smith then opened the boundary tally for the innings by driving squarely over backward point and found the ropes again with a nice flick off the pads.

The Foxes then lost their first wicket with 21 on the board. After shelling a more straightforward chance, Watson caught an absolute blinder diving to his left to give Goudie his first wicket.

That bought Taylor to the wicket and as he settled, du Toit struck back over the bowler's head for his first four. He then picked up backward of square for another boundary.

A fine lofted off drive also went for four and a huge stroke wide of mid on became the game's first maximum. With the next ball costing five wides, the fifty came up.

Taylor despatched a Berrington full toss for six and the stand passed fifty shortly afterwards. The visitors were drying up the boundaries in general as medium pacer Gordon Drummond and off-spinner Majid Haq demonstrated good control.

With boundaries at a premium, the Foxes were having to work the ball around to build their total up and the 100 came up at the end of the 21st over.

du Toit moved to a 70-ball half-century but the fact the usually free-scoring batsman struck only three fours in the landmark showed how tough the going was. Indeed, four byes in the 24th was the first boundary for 11 overs.

Taylor's reverse sweep was another welcome four and the 100-run partnership came up for good measure. Watson came on to form an off-spinning duopoly and he immediately broke the stand as du Toit holed out to Bailey at long on for 55.

Taylor moved to a 68-ball 50 with two fours and a six but was selflessly run out for 51 trying to get Nixon a second run as the team tried to up the ante. The left hander then cut nicely for four and the batting powerplay was taken after 30 overs.

Andrew McDonald struck over mid-wicket for his first four and when Goudie re-entered the attack, the batsman hit over mid off. However, the bowler got revenge by bowling the batsman off the inside edge.

Nixon reverse swept Watson for two fours in three balls as the Foxes continued to take advantage of the powerplay but the spinner struck with the last ball by bowling Cobb

Scotland continued to plug away and the Foxes were never able to pull clear. Nixon fell for a valiant 34 when chipping Goudie to Bailey at mid on but five wides was a welcome lapse in concentration from the returning Drummond in the 38th.

Tom New flicked off his pads pleasantly as the 200 came up later that over. Claude Henderson found the ropes from an inside edge and a more conventional shot over mid-wicket in the last also raced away.

New was caught by the safe hands of Bailey from the last ball of the innings and the Foxes ended around 20 shy of what looked to be a par total.

Nathan Buck and Sam Cliff opened the bowling and the team needed a tight start. However, Watson and Gavin Hamilton were positive in reply. No doubt the duo had noted how difficult scoring had been with pace taken off and went hard at the new ball.

Watson drove through the off side to the ropes and Hamilton flicked off the pads and drove through mid on for two more fours in the second. A Watson cut also raced away and fortune favoured the batsman in the fourth over.

Cliff sent down an excellent six balls but after five dots, the sixth went for four via the inside edge. It was good stuff from the seamer though and Buck's next over cost just one run as the Foxes gained back some control.

Hamilton drove for four in the seventh and the Foxes needed a wicket to stem the flow. It came courtesy of Buck, who had the former Yorkshire player caught by Smith at short mid-wicket.

It was even steven after the first powerplay as Scotland, like the Foxes, ended it 40-1. That was by no means the last time the teams were locked together in the comparison stakes.

The second block was taken immediately and overseas player Bailey found the boundary with a cut.

Cliff nearly had the second breakthrough as Bailey nicked but New couldn't grasp the opportunity, which proved an important escape for the batsman. Scotland were 49-1 after ten and Hoggard entered the attack from the Pavilion End.

Bailey pulled backward of square for four and also cut for three. The Tasmanian captain was making the most of his second chance and Henderson came on within the powerplay.

His first over started nicely but Watson drove the last ball for four. The opener was playing well and his wicket was needed.

Hoggard duly delivered in the next. Watson did not make a great connection with a slower ball bouncer and du Toit took a good running catch at mid-wicket to leave Scotland on 64-2 in the thirteenth.

Omer Hussain scored his first boundary with a drive over the top and he followed that up with a pull backward of square. After 16 overs, the tallies again matched on 82 with Scotland having lost a wicket more.

Bailey drove through mid on for four in the next and there was a double change as Cobb and McDonald entered the attack to miserly effect. Both went for just two in their first over as slowing the pace again worked well.

It was very tight and the score was 99-2 at the halfway stage. Cobb made an important breakthrough as he got one through Hussain's defences and although key man Bailey was still in, chipping away at the other end was massively important.

The Foxes dried up the boundaries but Scotland were ticking the board over with some good running. Accumulation was the main thing during these middle overs.

For the first time in a while though, the Foxes were ahead at the same stage. After 25, Scotland were 121-3 and the Foxes had been 125-1.

Berrington broke the shackles with a reverse sweep that went for four and the equation was 86 to win from 78 balls. Cobb and McDonald were doing a sterling job and the rate was creeping up.

Henderson re-entered the equation and nearly got the fourth wicket as Berrington got a leading edge on an attempted drive but it looped over a diving Cobb at straight mid-wicket.

Bailey then moved to a 67-ball fifty with three fours and after the slow left armer went for just one run in five balls in the 31st, the Aussie drove a straight blow for four to put a dent in his good work.

The Aussie was threatening to guide his side home and his fellow countryman McDonald made a crucial blow in his seventh over. Bailey, who had played so well, had dragged a ball onto the stumps.

Berrington was still going well and was batting at a pace like no-one else in the game. He reverse swept the returning Cobb to the fence and with ten coming off the over, 48 were needed from 7.

McCallum then struck a six over mid on and the visitors had the rate back in check. McDonald finished with 1-40 from eight and Hoggard replaced Cobb. Scotland decided to take their batting powerplay so it was make or break for the Foxes.

Hoggard's over was excellent and only three were taken from it. Henderson switched to the Bennett End and there was no margin for error given the spinner could only have three men outside of the circle.

Berrington advanced and struck a straight four and then swept another as he moved to a quickfire fifty from 51 balls. Although that tipped the balance, the batsman fell to the next delivery as Henderson got one through and it was still very much anyone's game.

With four overs to go, remarkably the scores were level again on 191-5. That remained the case after 36 as Hoggard's next over was a belter that cost just two.

Henderson struck to remove Marc Petrie without scoring so the Foxes were taking the initiative. It meant 25 were needed from 17 balls but Haq stroked through cover to keep the visitors in it.

Then came the decisive blow. After just three runs came from the first five balls of Hoggard’s last over, McCallum hit a cracking pick-up stroke for six to leave ten required from the last.

Buck returned and Haq glanced a four down to fine leg to off the first ball to ease the visitors' nerves. McCallum then repeated his pick-up stroke for four and one run was needed from the last three balls.

The batsman pierced the field to get the required run and Scotland left with the spoils. It must have been good viewing for the television audience but the outcome was certainly not what County wanted.

They now have a week to regroup before going to Durham Dynamos next Sunday for their next CB40 challenge.