Samit Patel makes a significant impact as Derbyshire pursues the Foxes.

For the second time this Vitality Blast season, veteran all-rounder Samit Patel tormented Leicestershire Foxes as Derbyshire Falcons triumphed over their East Midlands neighbours in the North Group, boosting their prospects of making it to the quarterfinals.

Derbyshire chased down 185 to win by four wickets with four balls remaining. The 39-year-old Falcons captain, whose 64 was the difference when the sides met at Edgbaston at the beginning of the season, blasted nine fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 67.

The Foxes finished well to post 184 for six, led by Ben Cox’s four sixes in an unbroken 61 off thirty balls and Lewis Goldsworthy’s 48 from 41. On his Derbyshire debut, Pakistani left-arm quick Mohammad Amir went wicketless while former Leicestershire seamer Zak Chappell grabbed three wickets for forty-two and Samit Patel two for twenty-seven.

Despite losing three of their most important hitters, Derbyshire had posted a batting powerplay total of 64, well ahead of the needed rate. After Mike was pushed back by Luis Reece, Mike made a nice deep low catch to get rid of the threatening Aneurin Donald. After missing six weeks due to injury, Tom Scriven made his comeback by bowling David Lloyd, with all three of them falling for the eighth ball they faced.

Nevertheless, the Falcons were more than halfway to their goal at 96 for three after ten, thanks to veteran Wayne Madsen (46), who was assisting Samit Patel in finding gaps in the field with his skill.

After putting up 80 runs in nine and a half overs, Madsen hit Hull squarely on the cover boundary with all-rounder Jimmy Neesham of New Zealand. The outcome became less assured when Mike had Ross Whiteley leg before for a golden duck in the following over, with 52 still needed off 33 balls.

When the final over came with the scores tied, Chappell struck the winning boundary. Brooke Guest was caught off a top edge to give 19-year-old Sam Wood his maiden senior wicket, but there was no pinning down Patel.

The Foxes lost three wickets for forty-five runs in the powerplay, thus Patel’s decision to field first had paid off quickly. There had been early signs that slowing down the tempo would be a winning strategy.

After being hit for two fours and a six, Chappell responded by dismissing Sol Budinger with a slower ball and holding back another one slightly to dismiss Rishi Patel as well. Paul Stirling was run out at this period, as Madsen’s direct smash from midwicket concluded Stirling’s first innings for the Foxes.

By the eleventh over, the home team had fallen to 78 for five. During Neesham’s maiden innings as a Leicestershire player, he avoided a stumping opportunity from Alex Thomson before being bowled by Patel. Louis Kimber then blasted the left-arm spinner’s next delivery straight to long off after smashing a huge six over the leg side.

But, Goldsworthy and Cox wisely took their time to assess the pitch; after the former was caught on the cover boundary, their 48 off four and a half overs offered Cox a chance to strike in the final four overs.

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On 10, he had good luck as he tried to clear the ropes after Thomson misplaced the ball in the sun. He profited from this by smashing four sixes in the final four overs, accounting for 44 of the 58 runs that were added.