da roleta： Josh Cobb blazed his way to a career-best 91 not out to fire LeicestershireFoxes to only their second victory of the season in the Clydesdale Bank 40 andput a dent in Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals
ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jul-2011
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Josh Cobb blazed his way to a career-best 91 not out to fire LeicestershireFoxes to only their second victory of the season in the Clydesdale Bank 40 andput a dent in Northamptonshire Steelbacks’ hopes of reaching the semi-finals.The Foxes’ 20-year-old opener blasted two sixes and nine fours in his 88-ballinnings as Leicestershire raced to a five-wicket win, reaching their target of207 with 9.2 overs to spare.Half-centuries from Stephen Peters and Andrew Hall helped the Steelbacks to atotal of 206 for six after they had been put into bat. But with Cobb in such blistering form it proved nowhere near enough.The home side put down a marker in the first few overs of their innings – Cobband Andrew McDonald putting on 58 in the first six. The second over from Hallwent for 31 runs with two no-balls added to a six and five fours that came fromthe bat of McDonald.The Australian all-rounder finally fell to a catch in the deep off the bowlingof Lee Daggett for 35 but, by the end of the eight power-play overs, the Foxeshad reached 83 for two compared to the Steelbacks’ 36 for two at the samestage. From that point on the Foxes were in complete command and they made light workof the victory charge with Cobb dominating the Northamptonshire attack.He struck the ball superbly on both sides of the wicket, hitting sixes offChaminda Vaas and David Willey, in addition to numerous other boundaries thatflew through the gaps in the field.Although Will Jefferson, Jacques du Toit and Wayne White fell cheaply to leavethe Foxes on 138 for four in the 16th over it proved just a brief respite forthe Steelbacks.Cobb and Matt Boyce (28) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 66 in 14 overs thattook the home side to the brink of victory before Boyce skied a catch off JamesMiddlebrook.Cobb sealed the win with another cracking boundary to go past his previous bestone-day score of 87 against Durham in the same competition earlier in theseason.Peters, with 63 off 90 balls, and Hall, who made 67 off 81, provided thebackbone to a disappointing Steelbacks innings. The visitors never recoveredfrom a poor start when Foxes seamer Nadeem Malik took three for 18 in his firstsix overs. Only a stand of 91 between Peters and Hall gave the innings any substance, butin the end it was well below what was required.Having won their first five games in the competition the Steelbacks have nowlost two in succession and face a real battle to reach the last four.