Damp squib at Wantage Road

No result: Northamptonshire Steelbacks (1 pt) 37-1 v Leicestershire Foxes (1 pt) 175-5 (Allenby 43, Cobb 43, Dippenaar 28*, Boje 2-22, Panesar 2-27)

Northamptonshire Steelbacks and Leicestershire Foxes had to settle for a point apiece after rain ruined their Pro40 clash at Wantage Road.

Only 34.2 overs were possible throughout an afternoon decimated by weather, with the Steelbacks 37-1 from 4.2 overs in reply to the Foxes’ total of 175-5 from a reduced allocation of 30.

The Foxes suffered two delays when their shortened innings got underway, which reduced the game to 38 and then 30 overs per side. In the play that was possible, Jim Allenby and Josh Cobb jointly top-scored with 43.

Rain then stopped play again before Northants went about a revised chase of 186 and the Steelbacks were set a final target of 122 in 17 overs.

Unfortunately, rain came again in the fifth over and that ended the match just before 7pm.

It was a frustrating afternoon all-round and had a familiar feel to it as two one-day games with the Steelbacks were lost last year to the elements.

The game was shaping up nicely after home skipper Nicky Boje won the toss and elected to field.

Matthew Boyce and Allenby put on 29 for the first wicket before the left-hander nicked former Foxes seamer Lee Daggett behind to a diving Riki Wessels.

Allenby was then joined at the crease by Cobb. The pair shared 61 for the second wicket with Cobb in extremely good touch.

The youngster scored at a run a ball, striking six fours and a maximum during his 37-minute stay at the crease.

Slow left-armers Boje and Monty Panesar formed a dual spin threat though and the captain had Cobb caught by Daggett at square-leg with the score on 90.

Although the youngster had dominated the entertaining stand, Allenby was no slouch either.

He lost another partner when James Taylor was bowled by England spinner Panesar for nine, but continued on to make his runs from 51 balls with five fours.

Unfortunately for the Foxes, the big-hitter was then dismissed after the first stoppage. The loss of momentum may well have been crucial as the all-rounder was bowled by Boje.

Panesar then caught and bowled Jacques du Toit for 14 shortly after, and suddenly the spinners had snared four wickets between them and the Foxes were struggling at 128-5.

The players again departed for rain shortly after the fall of the fifth wicket, and when they returned, captain Boeta Dippenaar and ‘keeper Tom New shared a much-needed unbroken stand of 47 in the remaining 5.3 overs.

The skipper found the boundary three times in his unbeaten 28 from just 23 balls, while New scored 16 form 14 balls with two fours.

It meant the innings ended with a flourish, and with an overall rate of 5.83 from a severely-disrupted knock, the Foxes had made a good fist of their first Pro40 innings of the summer in the circumstances.

Northants’ chase was upped to 186 under Duckworth-Lewis, but with more rain in the end, it was again revised to 122 from 17 overs.

They lost a wicket in the very first over as Harry Gurney had Wessels caught by Matthew Boyce after the ‘keeper had struck two fours off the left-armer.

Stephen Peters and Alex Wakely continued to take the attack to the bowlers, unbeaten on 20 and 7 respectively when more rain came.

That was to prove the final nail in the game’s coffin, with both sides having to settle for a point apiece.

The Foxes next challenge comes in the Championship against Essex, which begins on Tuesday.