Leicestershire 166 (Patel 64, Chohan 2-29) beat Yorkshire 146 for 9 (Malan 32, Currie 3-19, Goldsworthy 3-20) by 20 runs
The Foxes were bowled out for 166 in 19.5 overs. They looked under par on a good pitch – not a road, but true enough having elected to bat. Opener Rishi Patel top-scored with 64 off 47 balls.
Yorkshire’s star-studded batting line-up then cruised to 100 for 2 in the 13th over of their chase, but Joe Root and Shan Masood both fell amidst a damaging collapse to 124 for 6 in the 17th. In the end, they finished on 146 for 9, losing by 20 runs.
Left-arm spinner Goldsworthy, on loan from Somerset, had England’s Root caught at long-on on the way to 3 for 20 from three overs, while pacer Currie returned 3 for 19 from four. The Foxes jump into the North Group’s top four as a result.
Yorkshire have now lost three, won three at the start of their campaign.
An eventful six-over powerplay saw Leicestershire reach 60 for 3. Patel and opening partner Harry Swindells hit a six apiece, but the Foxes were pegged back as Vikings loanee fast bowler Conor McKerr had a hand in two of the three early wickets.
He had Swindells caught at mid-off for 22 and helped to run out Rehan Ahmed at the striker’s end as the England man attempted a third run to deep backward point. McKerr was the fielder.
From there, the Foxes lost wickets at inopportune times, with spinners Jafer Chohan and Dan Moriarty striking twice, a haul matched by seamer Matthew Revis.
Patel reached his fifty off 31 balls, but the loss of wickets meant he couldn’t press the accelerator as not long after the Foxes were 100 for 5 after 11 overs.
Patel fell caught at cover trying to reverse sweep against Moriarty’s left-arm spin – 146 for 7 in the 18th over – before former Viking Ben Mike hit a couple of sixes in a 28 which proved crucial in the final reckoning even if it didn’t feel like it would be at the time.
In reply, Adam Lyth and Dawid Malan were by no means slow, but the openers were more controlled than Leicestershire had been early on, sharing 45 inside six overs.
Both men caressed sixes over cover off Louis Kimber’s part-time off-spin as 13 came off the opening over before falling for 21 and 32 respectively as Yorkshire fell to 65 for 2 in the ninth. Lyth was bowled by Currie and Malan, who top-scored, caught at long-off against Goldsworthy.
And those wickets were the early shoots of a successful Foxes fightback which was very similar to the one which saw them defend 141 to beat Durham at the Riverside last Wednesday.
Root and Masood hit early sixes but fell in quick succession, leaving the Vikings 104 for four in the 14th. Root found long-on off Goldsworthy for 30 and Masood skewed Currie to backward point for 14.
Wickets then tumbled at a decisive rate, quietening an expectant home crowd of 5,307.
Goldsworthy had Jordan Thompson well caught at deep midwicket before Currie had last hope Donovan Ferreira caught behind for 22 – 136 for 8 with 11 balls left.
Josh Hull comfortably defended 25 off the last over, removing Chohan on the way.
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