Cricket

Derbyshire Falcons soared to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes in the Vitality Blast North Group, completing a double over their East Midlands rivals. Veteran allrounder Samit Patel once again proved to be Leicestershire's tormentor, guiding Derbyshire to victory with an unbeaten 67.Patel, who had starred in Derbyshire's earlier triumph at Edgbaston, continued his dominance with a blistering knock that included nine fours and two sixes. His innings proved crucial as Derbyshire chased down Leicestershire's total of 184 with four balls to spare.Leicestershire had posted a competitive score thanks to Ben Cox's unbeaten 61 and Lewis Goldsworthy's 48. Cox smashed four sixes in his 30-ball knock, while Goldsworthy provided stability with his 41-ball innings.However, Derbyshire's bowlers, led by Zak Chappell's three wickets, kept Leicestershire in check. Patel also chipped in with two wickets, while Pakistan quick Mohammad Amir made his Derbyshire debut without taking a wicket.Derbyshire's chase got off to a strong start, with the team posting 64 in their batting powerplay. However, they lost three key batters in quick succession, including Luis Reece, Aneurin Donald, and David Lloyd.Patel and Wayne Madsen steadied the innings with a 80-run partnership, but Madsen's dismissal and Ross Whiteley's golden duck raised doubts about Derbyshire's chances.Brooke Guest's dismissal gave Leicestershire a glimmer of hope, but Patel remained unyielding. He continued to find the boundary with ease, and Chappell hit the winning boundary in the final over to seal the victory.Earlier, Patel's decision to field first paid dividends as Leicestershire lost three wickets in the powerplay. Chappell removed Sol Budinger and Rishi Patel with slower balls, while Paul Stirling was run out by Madsen's direct hit.Neesham and Louis Kimber fell in quick succession, but Goldsworthy and Cox rebuilt the innings. They added 48 runs in four and a half overs, giving Leicestershire a platform to launch an attack in the final overs.Cox took full advantage, hammering four sixes in the last four overs to score 44 of the 58 runs added. However, it was not enough to prevent Derbyshire from securing a crucial victory that boosts their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.

Derbyshire Falcons soared to a thrilling four-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes in their Vitality Blast opener at Edgbaston, thanks to a scintillating partnership between Wayne Madsen and Samit Patel.The Foxes, opting to bat first, stumbled to 97 for 6 as Zak Chappell, Pat Brown, and Patel claimed two wickets each. However, an unbroken 79-run stand between Peter Handscomb (75*) and Rehan Ahmed (36*) propelled them to a respectable 176 for 6.In response, the Falcons relied on the experience of Madsen (43) and Patel (64) to chase down the target with 19.1 overs to spare. Their 102-run partnership in just 58 balls laid the foundation for the victory.Patel's blistering knock of 64 from 32 deliveries included four fours and five sixes, while Madsen played a composed innings of 43 off 35. Their efforts left the Falcons needing 18 runs from the final 12 balls.Brooke Guest stepped up to the plate, smashing two sixes to seal the victory and bring the Foxes down to earth after their opening-game triumph over Yorkshire Vikings.The Foxes' innings had a shaky start as Sol Budinger was dismissed for a golden duck, followed by Rishi Patel and Louis Kimber. Handscomb's half-century and Ahmed's late hitting provided some respite, but the Falcons' bowlers kept them in check.The Falcons' chase also had its moments of drama. Luis Reece, David Lloyd, and Harry Came were dismissed cheaply, but Madsen and Patel steadied the ship. Patel's dismissal brought Ross Whiteley to the crease, but he was soon caught.Guest's heroics in the penultimate over, however, ensured the Falcons' victory. He smashed two towering sixes to leave just two runs required from the last over.