Leicestershire Opener Shines as Vitality Blast Delivers Thrilling Tie
Leicestershire 208/7 (Patel 104, Weatherall 4-50) tied with Northamptonshire 208/5 (Willey 71, Breetzke 47)
Leicestershire’s Rishi Patel lit up the Vitality Blast with a blistering unbeaten 104 off just 45 balls, equaling the Foxes’ fastest-ever T20 century, as his side played out a pulsating tie against Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.
Patel, the tournament’s leading run-scorer this season, upstaged Steelbacks skipper David Willey, who marked his 300th career T20 appearance by top-scoring with 71. Willey’s milestone knock also saw him surpass 4,000 runs in the format as Northamptonshire posted 208/5.
“Patel’s sustained onslaught, which featured 10 sixes, proved equally vital as Leicestershire matched their opponents’ total, with Lewis Goldsworthy’s boundary from the final delivery rescuing a point for the visitors.”
Northamptonshire’s innings was built around Willey’s 48-ball 71 and cameos from Matthew Breetzke (47) and Sikandar Raza (36* off 14), the latter two propelling the Steelbacks beyond 200. But Patel’s stunning assault, which saw him race to a century in just 41 deliveries, kept Leicestershire in the hunt throughout their chase.
Despite the best efforts of rookie seamer Raphy Weatherall, who took 4/50, the Foxes ultimately managed to tie the contest, thanks to Goldsworthy’s final-ball heroics, ensuring a share of the spoils in this backyard cricket-esque thriller at the home of club cricket.
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