Report: Leicestershire v Warwickshire, Royal London Cup

Louis Kimber helped Leicestershire inflict a first defeat in the Royal London One Day Cup on Warwickshire, and in so doing take a big step towards qualifying for the knock-out stages.

Kimber hit three sixes in scoring 78 off 68 deliveries, adding a second half-century to the century he made against Somerset in the competition two days earlier. The 25-year-old from Lincoln also picked up an important wicket, having Michael Burgess caught on the boundary when the Bears’ batsman was threatening to hit his side back into the game.

As it was, another disciplined bowling display, led impressively by Chris Wright (3-29) against his former county, ensured the visitors were dismissed a long way short of their target.

Using the same pitch as had been used against Somerset, Leicestershire had begun circumspectly after skipper Lewis Hill had won the toss and chosen to bat first, understandably so after they had been 18-3 at the end of the first powerplay against the West Country county.

Rishi Patel and Nick Welch took the score 34 in the tenth over before both were dismissed on that score, Patel caught at midwicket attempting to turn a delivery from Ollie Hannon-Dalby to the leg side, and Welch edging a catch behind off Liam Norwell.

Hill made a busy 18 before he too edged a catch behind, driving loosely at Will Rhodes, but by then KImber was well-established, and the arrival at the crease of the equally in-form Mulder can only have further boosted his confidence.

Already suffering in the heat, none of the Warwickshire attack could contain either batter, Kimber hitting five fours and a six in going to his half-century off 44 balls, Mulder six fours in going to his off 46. The fourth wicket partnership was well past 100 when Kimber, having hit two more huge maximums, went back to work Krunal Pandya through the off-side, sliced the ball high toward backward point, and saw 12th man Manraj Johal take a fine leaping catch high above his head.

Pandya made a second breakthrough almost immediately, albeit slightly fortuitously, when Mulder advanced down the wicket and clubbed the ball ferociously hard but at chest height to long-on, where Norwell made no mistake in holding the catch.

At 209-5 in the 36th over the innings could have petered out, but Harry Swndells, who had made a vital 70 in his previous innings against Somerset, again played an important role in ensuring the impetus was maintained, first in company with Arron Lilley, who hit Pandya for two beautifully timed straight sixes, and then Tom Scriven, who hit four fours and a six in making 30 from just 17 balls.

Warwickshire needed at least one of their high-powered openers to make a big score, but Wright brilliantly caught Dom Sibley high to his right off his own bowling, and Mulder found the edge of Rob Yates’ bat with a fine delivery which bounced and left the left-hander.

Burgess, in company with Will Rhodes, hit out strongly – if occasionally wildly – and the third wicket partnership was worth 71 when an inspired Hill turned to Kimber’s occasional off-spin and was rewarded by seeing Burgess slog-sweep straight to Welch at deep midwicket. 

Rhodes lost his middle stump pulling at Scriven, and with the scoreboard pressure telling, Warwickshire’s innings subsided. Hill ran out Matt Lamb, stranded when Pandya did not respond to his call, Pandya skied Wright to backward point, and Beuran Hendricks picked up two wickets in two balls to take his total to 11 wickets in the competition.