Challengers Beat Leicestershire CCC In T20 Opener

The Challengers, the newly-formed NCCA team, made an impressive start their programme of matches against first-class counties by beating a strong Leicestershire side by five wickets in a T20 match at Uppingham School.

Berkshire off-spinner Euan Woods proved the Challemgers’ match winner as he opened the bowling and returned remarkable figures of five for 16 in his four overs.

Woods’s victims included England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed, who went LBW first ball and Australia Test batter Peter Handscomb who picked out Staffordshire’s Nils Priestley at deep midwicket with the previous delivery.

Woods was well-supported by Berkshire’s former Middlesex seamer Toby Greatwood (one for 19) and Staffordshire’s Rory Haydon (two for 17) and Leicestershire, who six members of the team that won the Metro Bank Cup last September, mustered 141 for nine.

Oxfordshire’s Harrison Ward, who is on a white ball contract with Sussex, gave Challengers a flying start to their chase, striking 39 from 23 balls with three sixes, in an opening stand of 62 with Jonny Connell.

Challengers captain Dan Lincoln then joined Connell in an all-Berkshire second wicket alliance of 66 which got them to 14 of their target.

Lincoln, who has twice captained National Counties to the European T10 Championship, blasted 53 from 22 balls with four sixes before he departed and was quickly followed by Buckinghamshire’s Cam Hemp, Dorset’s Alex Eckland and Woods.

But Connell (27 not out) and Priestley (11 not out) saw Challengers home without further alarm and with 32 balls to spare.

Challengers will meet Leicestershire in two more T20 matches at the Uptonsteel County Ground at Grace Road on Friday with the matches starting at 2.30pm and 6.30pm).

The Challengers side has been formed by NCCA to showcase some of the talented players involved in National Counties cricket and with the aim of playing alongside the first-class counties in one or more of the domestic white ball competitions from 2025.

T20 Friendly

Uppingham School: Leicestershire 141-9 (Euan Woods 5-16), Challengers 143-5 (Dan Lincoln 53, Harrison Ward 39). Challengers won by five wickets