Report: Leicestershire Foxes vs Bears, Vitality Blast

Bears boosted their chances of qualifying for the Vitality Blast quarter-finals for a fifth consecutive season as they eased past Leicestershire Foxes at the Uptonsteel County Ground, winning by six wickets with 10 balls to spare.

The Foxes were bowled out for 154 in 19.3 overs, Pakistan international pace bowler Hassan Ali finishing with four for 22, with all four wickets in the opening powerplay. Sol Budinger made 51 off 24 balls, but all-rounder Logan Van Beek’s 26 was the next-best score, with Richard Gleeson and Danny Briggs picking up two wickets each for the Bears.

Half-centuries from Sam Hain (55 from 38 balls) and Dan Mousley (64 not out from 48) then got the job done as the Bears moved level on 20 points with the Foxes in a tight North Group.

After the Birmingham-based visitors chose to bowl, an extraordinary opening powerplay saw Budinger smash 40 off 17 balls, but the Foxes careered from 38 without loss to 71 for four after two stunning overs from Hassan.

There were eight boundaries from the first 13 deliveries, culminating in Budinger walloping Hassan’s first ball over the rope at midwicket in what looked potentially another big night for the explosive left-hander, who smashed a 15-ball half-century against Derbyshire on the opening night of Leicestershire’s season.

But how the picture changed. Hassan, who took a hat-trick against Derbyshire in figures of six for 23 a month ago, now dismissed Rishi Patel, caught at long-off, and international team-mate Shan Masood, tamely bunting to extra cover, with consecutive balls. Budinger picked up a second six in taking 19 off Mousley, but Hassan immediately grabbed back the spotlight by bowling Rehan Ahmed, stepping across, and trapping Louis Kimber in front with the first and fifth balls of his second over.

By the 12th over, the Foxes were 102 for seven after Budinger had been caught on the slog-sweep, Liam Trevaskis holed out to wide long-on, and Ben Cox was bowled playing back to Gleeson. 

Van Beek (26 from 25) and Tom Scriven (19 from 17) added 36 but it took five overs and the momentum from the start of the innings had completely dissipated, Gleeson (2-24), Mousley and Ed Barnard picking up a wicket apiece at the death as the home side were dismissed in 19.3 overs.

Leicestershire took two wickets in the powerplay, but the Bears were comfortable at 59 for two from six, although New Zealand batter Tom Latham made only a single before he was caught at cover off Sam Wood after Alex Davies had been caught behind attempting to hook Van Beek.

By halfway, the target was down to 60 at 95 for two with Hain and Mousley able to progress without taking too many risks with no need to chase boundaries beyond those that were there for the taking.

Hain and Mousley both survived difficult chances, but with the last five overs arriving with only 21 more needed, the result was effectively decided, even though Hain would be caught at long-on off Kimber before the Foxes skipper collected a second wicket in Moeen Ali with a return catch. Mousley struck Josh Hull to the cover boundary for the winning runs.

Dan Mousley said, “We needed a win and to come here and get four points, we’re over the moon. 

“Hassan was outstanding in the powerplay to get four wickets – and four of their main batters. That goes a long way for us and I thought after that we brought it back really well with the ball. The skipper went quite attacking with his bowling changes, Danny Briggs was brilliant tonight, then getting Richard Gleeson back in at the right moments. The more wickets that went down, the lower the target was going to be.

“The pitch was a bit of a strange one, to be honest. With the new ball, it felt okay, and then with the older ball, it felt like it gripped a little bit slowly into the wicket. You’ve just got to understand that as a batter. But when you do get in and create a partnership, you can kill the game. I thought Hainy played beautifully.

“I was pleased with my own innings. As a young batter, I’m trying to learn as much as I can about how to play in different situations. It was something that Westy (head coach Ian Westwood) and Matthew Walker, the batting coach, spoke about with me and said that if you get the opportunity again, make sure you’re the one to kill the game. That’s what I was thinking about, to be honest, to make sure I was there at the end.”