Lightning strike down Foxes
Stuart Law shared a stand of 42 with opening batsman Lou Vincent © Getty Images
Lancashire Lightning launched their Twenty20 cup campaign with a crushing victory over two-time winners Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road.
The Foxes, chasing a target of 158, lost their last five wickets for three runs in 16 balls to be bowled out for 105, giving Lancashire victory by 52 runs with 10 balls to spare.
All-rounder Steven Croft did the damage claiming 3-6 in 2.2 overs after Lancashire had posted a score of 157 for seven.
Lancashire were given a flying start at the top of the order by Lou Vincent, Mal Loye and Stuart Law.
Vincent set the tempo when he hit the second ball of the match from Garnett Kruger for six and put on 24 with Loye for the first wicket.
Then Vincent and Law shared a second-wicket stand of 42 in five overs with Lancashire healthily placed at one stage at 50 for one.
But when Dillon du Preez dismissed both batsmen, Lancashire's innings began to stutter particularly against some tidy spin bowling from Claude Henderson and Jeremy Snape.
It needed a solid knock of 45 off 34 balls from Francois du Plessis, that included three sixes, to put the visitors back in command.
Even so they managed only 107 runs in the last 14 overs for the loss of six wickets with Snape finishing with 2-18 off three overs.
A target of 158 looked well within reach for the Foxes, who won the competition in 2004 and 2006.
But the loss of HD Ackerman in the first over lbw to James Anderson and then Boeta Dippenaar to Dominic Cork had the Foxes on the back foot.
Only Matt Boyce with 31 and Paul Nixon, who hit 37 off 32 balls, offered much resistance and the innings collapsed as the home side slumped from 95 for four to 105 all out in less than four overs.
The collapse began with the dismissal of Jacques du Toit rapidly followed by Snape and Croft claimed the vital wicket of Nixon bowling him with the total at 102.
That spelled the end for the Foxes, while Lancashire could hardly have hoped for a better start.
