Leicestershire Foxes secure emphatic Blast win over Notts Outlaws

Chasing a modest 157 on what looked a good pitch, the home side eased home by four wickets with 14 balls to spare thanks to a maiden T20 half-century from England’s Rehan Ahmed, who hit 52 from 37 balls, sharing a 69-run fourth-wicket partnership with Foxes skipper Louis Kimber (35 off 15).

The Outlaws were bowled out for 156 in 19.3 overs, which always looked too few, with no one bettering Lyndon James’s 30 from 26 balls. Daniel Sams hit three sixes in his 28 from 17 but the Foxes were impressive with the ball, led by Logan Van Beek (three for 15) and Tom Scriven (two for 18).

Spinners Matt Montgomery and Calvin Harrison took two wickets each, the latter holding three catches, but the Outlaws never threatened to deny Leicestershire a fifth win of the season, with their own qualification hopes in the balance.

Joe Clarke (24 off 12) and Freddie McCann (17 off 11) gave the visitors some powerplay punch after the Foxes opted to bowl first but at 65 for three midway through the seventh over they had already lost three of their most potent batters.

Clarke, who waited for TV to check the catch, perished at deep backward square off Sam Wood. Jack Haynes was caught behind off a bottom edge before McCann, who cleared the ropes off Wood and Logan van Beek, was beaten by Rehan’s third delivery and stumped.

Tom Moores picked out deep midwicket as the home attack drove down the scoring rate before the Outlaws lost James for 30 from 26 thanks to a brilliant run out executed off his own bowling by Scriven.

Sams and Montgomery counter-attacked, adding 47 in 25 balls as the former twice launched Rehan over the on-side boundary before pulling a huge maximum off Scriven.

But Montgomery and Liam Patterson-White both found fielders, and Sams stretched for a wide ball and was caught behind. Van Beek took two in two to finish the innings, having Harrison caught at extra cover and Dillon Pennington bowled, the Foxes conceding just 18 runs in the last four overs.

Sol Budinger, superbly caught at mid-wicket after 22 from 12, and Rishi Patel, top-edging a pull, were powerplay casualties in Leicestershire’s chase, which realised 50 for two. Shan Masood looked well set before being bowled by Harrison’s leg-spin for 27 off 22 but the Foxes were in a good position at 89 for three after 10 overs, needing 68 more as Rehan and Kimber began to cut loose.

Harrison’s success in removing Masood felt less of a blow as Kimber clobbered him for three mighty maximums, leaving 35 needed with seven overs still in hand.

Kimber holed out for 35, Rehan was caught on the rope soon after hitting Harrison for his third six to go to 50 off 35, and Cox found a fielder too, before Mike struck the winning boundary.