11 Jul, 2025 | 01:53 PM

Leicestershire Foxes kept their Vitality Blast quarter-final hopes alive with a commanding six-wicket victory over Northamptonshire Steelbacks, chasing down 172 with 23 balls to spare at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Young allrounder Rehan Ahmed starred with a match-winning unbeaten 52 off 30 balls, guiding the Foxes home after a blistering 40 from opener Sol Budinger laid the foundation. The win lifts Leicestershire to fourth in the North Group standings, overtaking Northamptonshire, who have now suffered five consecutive defeats.

Northamptonshire, opting to bat first, posted 171 for 7 on a good batting surface. Veteran Ravi Bopara top-scored with 53 off 40 balls, while Saif Zaib (30 off 18) and skipper David Willey (27 off 18) made useful contributions. However, the innings faltered after a solid start of 106 for 2, collapsing to 129 for 7 before Luke Procter (22*) and Ben Sanderson (15*) added 42 unbeaten runs to push the total to respectability.

Leicestershire's bowlers kept things tight, with 20-year-old debutant Josh Thomas, on loan from Somerset, impressing with 2 for 32. Logan van Beek and Josh Hull also claimed two wickets each, capitalizing on a mid-innings collapse triggered by Zaib’s dismissal.

In reply, Leicestershire lost Rishi Patel early, caught and bowled by Willey for a duck, but Budinger counter-attacked brilliantly. He smashed two sixes off Sanderson and added 71 with captain Shan Masood (25) before falling to George Scrimshaw, who claimed 3 for 33 in a strong display.

Rehan took charge after the middle-order hiccup, launching Lloyd Pope for two sixes and accelerating after a couple of early reprieves. He was well supported by Ben Cox (21*), whose inventive scoop and clean hitting ensured the chase remained firmly in control.

With just 38 required off the last six overs, Rehan sealed the win in style, reaching his half-century with a boundary off Sanderson and guiding Leicestershire to 173 for 4 with more than three overs to spare.

The victory significantly boosts the Foxes' chances of a top-four finish, while Northamptonshire will rue missed chances in the field and a faltering middle order as their playoff hopes hang by a thread.