Lancashire 139 for 3 (Croft 45) beat Leicestershire 135 (Hill 50) by seven wickets
Unbeaten North Group leaders Lancashire Lightning made it 5 wins from six as they defeated Leicestershire Foxes, who’ve misplaced all three house Vitality Blast fixtures, but gained three from 4 on the street.
The mixture of competitively priced tickets and away wins over Yorkshire, Birmingham Bears and Worcestershire by the Foxes attracted a full home of round 5,000 to the Uptonsteel County Ground however it was an unrewarding night time for many of them.
A moist ball after a few hefty showers through the Lightning innings didn’t assist issues for the Foxes bowlers, though towards a batting line-up as sturdy as Lancashire’s they’d have struggled to defend such a low whole even in good situations.
Croft, who appeared nailed on for his first half-century of the season, was run out after a suicidal name for a second run by skipper Dane Vilas, however with solely 36 extra wanted from 46 balls the end result was by no means in severe doubt.
Tim David, who misplaced his off stump to Ben Mike in swinging at a free hit on 19, gained the competition with a six over huge lengthy-on off Naveen, ending with 24 off 17 balls.
Hamish Rutherford’s disappointing debut season for the Foxes continued with a second-ball duck as he punched Richard Gleeson straight to the fielder at brief third man, leaving the New Zealand opener with simply 51 runs from seven innings.
Otherwise, it was a passable powerplay for Leicestershire Foxes, for whom Hill was profitably revolutionary. Arron Lilley’s first scoring shot towards his former county went again over off-spinner Livingstone’s head for six.
Hill ramped a six as Gleeson’s second over went for 14 in contrast with three off his first because the Foxes posted 54 for 2 from six, Scott Steel the opposite casualty when he hit straight to mid-off. Hill and Lilley added 41 and the Foxes appeared effectively set at 78 for 2 earlier than the latter was caught at lengthy-on within the eleventh.
But Lightning’s spinners efficiently utilized the brake and claimed 5 wickets because the Foxes stumbled to 125 for seven, two for Matt Parkinson, who eliminated Rehan Ahmed by way of a catch at lengthy-on after the teenager had clubbed him over cowl for six, two for left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who dismissed Rishi Patel and Mike in consecutive overs, and one for David, who held a low return catch moments after Hill had accomplished his first half-century of the season.
Callum Parkinson was leg earlier than to a Danny Lamb slower ball, Naveen run out by a direct hit from cowl and Colin Ackermann was caught at mid-wicket for 25 because the Foxes innings ended after one ball of the twentieth over.