Foxes aim for quater final spot
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Leicestershire Foxes aim to use their two most recent one-day outings as a springboard to further success.
Leicestershire Foxes aim to use their two most recent one-day outings as a springboard to further success.
The Foxes should be brimming with confidence as they go into tonight's crucial Twenty20 Cup north zone game with Notts Outlaws at Grace Road (5.30).
They picked up a win over Yorkshire Phoenix in their previous Twenty20 game on Thursday, then rekindled their totesport League promotion hopes with a decisive victory over Sussex Sharks on Sunday.
That game produced probably the Foxes' best one-day performance of the season as they batted solidly and matched that in the field.
"It was pleasing," said director of cricket James Whitaker. "That is the level of consistency and contribution in all departments that we have been looking for.
"But I want to stress that we are still looking for continuous improvement and ways that we can maximise the ability of the team."
Leicestershire go into the game locked on four points with Notts and Lancashire but the group as a whole is wide open with two games remaining - the Foxes round off their zonal games with a trip to Derby on Thursday.
Whoever wins tonight, though, will be strongly placed to book a place in the quarter-finals, which are set for next Monday evening.
The Outlaws were overturned by their Derbyshire neighbours last time out but they remain a powerful side with dangerous batsmen of the calibre of Kevin Pietersen, David Hussey, Chris Read and Mark Ealham, who ran riot late in the totesport League game at Grace Road earlier this season when he smashed 40 from just 20 balls.
Those batsmen will present a massive challenge to a Foxes bowling attack which, to date, has done its job efficiently.
"I think everybody is excited about the game," Whitaker said. "I hope that a lot of people will come down and enjoy the evening - and that we perform how we know we can."
Fast bowler Mark Cleary is the only major doubt for the Foxes. He missed the win over Sussex suffering from a bout of flu but is named in a 13-strong squad.
However, should Cleary not make it, Leicestershire would have few doubts about naming Charlie Dagnall in their line-up as his replacement.
The seamer produced an outstanding spell of 3-21 against Sussex - figures that did not do his bowling justice as he move the ball around extravagantly.
"Daggers' performance was very good," said Whitaker. "It has been a while since he played in a one-day game but he ran in and bowled well.
"But all the bowlers and fielders did their jobs, while the batters kept their heads and helped us achieve a score which was defendable. This is a very important game for us. Our guys are determined to put in another good performance."
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