Leicestershire bowler shatters records, scalps 7 wickets in an innings of T20 Blast (video)
What's the story?
Leicestershire’s off-spin bowler, Colin Ackermann recorded the best bowling figures in T20 history while playing against the Birmingham Bears in England’s premier T20 competition, the Vitality T20 Blast. He bettered Arul Suppiah’s figures of 6/5 to set a new world record.
In case you didn't know...
Leicestershire Foxes had earlier won the toss and elected to bat first in the league encounter against the Birmingham Bears. The Foxes’ opener, Harry Swindells scored 63 runs off 50 balls to help the team get off to a good start. He waged a lone battle until Foxes’ wicket-keeper batsman, Lewis Hill joined him in the middle.
The duo added 62 runs for the fourth wicket with Hill playing the role of the aggressor. He played a blistering knock of 58 runs with the help of his 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Birmingham Bears were set a target of 190 runs and they looked favourites to win the contest, especially when their middle order duo of Adam Hose and Sam Hain stitched a 91-run partnership for the 3rd wicket.
The heart of the matter
Birmingham Bears were 114/2 when skipper, Ackermann, reintroduced himself into the bowling attack. He had already taken a wicket in his first spell.
First, he got the better of Will Rhodes and then, he sent Liam Banks and Alex Thomson back to the pavilion in the same over. In his final over, the off-spinner dismissed the well-set Hain on 61. Henry Brookes and team captain Jeetan Patel too followed him into the dressing room in the next 5 deliveries.
Ackermann’s magical spell reduced the Birmingham Bears from 114/2 to 134/9. His partner, Davis, supported him by taking 2 wickets as the Foxes defeated the Bears by 55 runs.
What's next?
This win has helped Leicestershire reach the top four of the T20 Blast’s North Group. However, their quarter-final spot is not confirmed yet as they need other results to go their way.
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