<
>
Player of the Match
Player of the Match

Matt Critchley's all-round efforts helps fire Derbyshire past Leicestershire

Matt Critchley swings to the leg side Getty Images

Derbyshire 209 for 6 (Critchley 80*, Reece 51, Naveen 3-26) beat Leicestershire 186 (van Beek 3-37) by 23 runs

Matt Critchley struck an unbeaten 80 off 45 balls and Luis Reece 51 from 29 as the Falcons registered their first win of the Vitality Blast season, despite Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq taking 3 for 26 on his home debut for the Foxes.

The two Derbyshire allrounders struck four sixes each as Derbyshire posted the fifth-highest total in T20 matches. Gavin Griffths, who took four wickets against Lancashire the night before, added one more but conceded 26 in an over for figures of 1 for 49 from three.

Critchley then took 2 for 31 with his legbreaks and Netherlands pace bowler Logan van Beek 3 for 37 as the Foxes were bowled out for 186 in 19 overs to lose by 23 runs, Rishi Patel top-scoring with 35 off 20 balls.

After Derbyshire were asked to bat, Foxes fans were soon enjoying the sight of Naveen bamboozling batsmen with his heavily disguised slower balls, the 21-year-old dismissing debutant Harry Came and Derbyshire skipper Billy Godleman in his first two overs.

Came - in for the injured Wayne Madsen - miscued to mid-on before Godleman, despite all his know-how, was left groping for another floaty delivery that bowled him.

Two of Reece's sixes came in the Powerplay as the Falcons advanced to 52 for 2, after which Leus du Plooy was soon caught behind off a wide ball from offspinner Arron Lilley.

Reece, dropped on 50, had added only a single when a Griffiths yorker beat his attempted reverse sweep but if Leicestershire imagined they had made the decisive breakthrough they were mistaken as Critchley and Alex Hughes added 85 from 47 balls before Hughes holed out to long-on for 38.

Naveen avenged a huge six from Fynn Hudson-Prentice by having him caught off a miscue next ball but could not stop Derbyshire recording their highest score against Leicestershire in this format.

After the Foxes lost Scott Steel first ball, Lilley boldly tried to keep the required rate in reach by smashing 29 from 20 balls but then found the fielder at long-on and being eight ahead on the Powerplay score was tempered for the Foxes as Josh Inglis was well caught at deep midwicket to the last ball of the sixth over.

Colin Ackermann and Lewis Hill were dismissed in consecutive overs and though Patel and Ben Mike attempted to keep their side in theoretical contention, they too fell in consecutive overs, after which Critchley dismissed Naveen and Will Davis for ducks in the same over before van Beek wrapped things up by having Griffiths caught at long-off.

Leics 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0JP InglisS Steel
2nd50AM LilleyJP Inglis
3rd10CN AckermannJP Inglis
4th38CN AckermannLJ Hill
5th8LJ HillRK Patel
6th41RK PatelBWM Mike
7th19CF ParkinsonBWM Mike
8th1CF ParkinsonNaveen-ul-Haq
9th0WS DavisCF Parkinson
10th19GT GriffithsCF Parkinson