Foxes flay Phantoms

John Sadler hit a maiden ton

John Maunders and John Sadler both hit maiden one-day centuries and shared a record stand as Leicestershire crushed Derbyshire in their final Friends Provident Trophy Northern Conference game of the season at Grace Road.

The two left-handers put on 229 in 38 overs as the Foxes chased down a revised target of 239 off 48 overs to win by nine wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis method with almost six overs to spare.

Sadler struck an unbeaten 113 off 116 balls, hitting 12 fours and two sixes, and Maunders finished on 109 not out off 131 balls with 17 fours.

The partnership was a record for any wicket for Leicestershire in the 50-over competition.

There was no indication of the fireworks to come when Derbyshire Phantoms, having posted what looked a challenging 246 for seven off their 50 overs, claimed a quick breakthrough.

Graham Wagg snapped up the wicket of opener Paul Harrison in the fifth over with the total at 10, Travis Birt taking a comfortable catch at first slip.

But that proved to be the visitors’ one and only success as Maunders and Sadler laid into the bowling, producing a superb array of attacking shots both sides of the wicket.

James Allenby took his first five-wicket haul for Leics

Both struck the ball sweetly and the fifty partnership came up in just nine overs to rapidly repair the early damage.

Sadler reached his half century off just 43 balls before a stoppage for rain saw Leicestershire’s target of 247 reduced.

The interruption with the score at 115 for one in the 22nd over failed to break the batsmen’s concentration, with Maunders quickly reaching his fifty on the restart off 81 balls.

The two left-handers continued to dominate and it became a race to see who could make three figures first.

Sadler won it a few balls ahead of Maunders, reaching his century off 107 balls with 11 fours and a six. Maunders followed in the next over with his hundred taking 128 balls and including 15 fours.

And it was Maunders who had the satisfaction of striking the winning boundary with a reverse sweep off the first ball of the 43rd over.

The Phantoms could hardly have expected such a heavy defeat after finishing their innings in impressive style. They were struggling at 110 for five at one stage but a stand of 133 between Ant Botha and James Pipe gave them some control.

Pipe struck 83, his best one-day innings, before being caught by Maunders off the bowling of James Allenby, while Botha finished 54 not out.

Allenby also got among the career bests by taking 5-43 in 10 overs - his best figures for Leicestershire.