Surprise blow as Foxes following a thrilling win

DURHAM DISPATCHED, BUT THEN COUNTY SUCCUMB TO 106-RUN DEFEAT TO BOTTOM SIDE

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LEICESTERSHIRE Foxes picked up a third Vitality Blast win in four matches on Friday night to keep their place among the front-runners in the North Group, defeating Durham by six runs in a tight finish at the Uptonsteel County Ground, writes Jon Culley of the ECB Reporters Network.

Ben Raine took five for 23 against his former team-mates, with four wickets in his final two overs, but the Foxes still posted 193 for eight, their highest Blast score against Durham after skipper Louis Kimber made 51 off 27 balls and Lewis Hill 47 off 30.

Graham Clark's 29 from 12 balls in the powerplay suggested Durham would make a fight of it but, after collapsing from 65 for one to 94 for six, they looked out of the game, Tom Scriven taking two for 25.

Yet Kasey Aldridge (44 not out) and Will Rhodes (43) then shared a 91-run partnership that took Durham into the final over needing 13 to win before bowler Matt Salisbury kept his nerve against his former side to concede just six.

Sol Budinger followed his stunning 15-ball half-century in the Foxes' season-opener here last month with a first-ball duck as Zak Foulkes nipped one back to take off stump.

Yet the home side, having been put in, recovered to be 65 for two in the powerplay, Jimmy Neesham conceding 17 and Aldridge 23 off their respective opening overs.

Rishi Patel, dropped on 30, fell for 36 (18 balls), caught at mid-off as Foulkes struck again with a slower ball, the Kiwi coming out of the powerplay with two for 19 from three overs.