Thursday 14 August 2014 22:41, UK
Leicestershire Foxes kept alive their hopes of a quarter-final place with a 16-run Duckworth-Lewis method victory over Worcestershire in the Royal London Cup Group A game at Grace Road.
Put into bat on a bowler-friendly pitch after rain delayed the start by two-and-a-half hours, Worcestershire totalled 202-9 off 34 overs.
That was down to a second-wicket stand of 104 between Daryl Mitchell and Tom Fell, who both hit half-centuries, while Leicestershire's young all-rounder Shiv Thakor took 4-49 - his best figures in limited-overs cricket.
The Foxes made a steady start to the chase, reaching 45 in eight overs for the loss of Niall O'Brien (23) and Angus Robson (13).
Greg Smith (34 not out) and Matt Boyce (nine not out) took the hosts to 93-2 off 15.4 overs before a torrential downpour brought an end to proceedings.
The abandonment handed the hosts a 16-run win which meant that, if they beat Lancashire in the final game at Old Trafford next week, they will clinch a place in the last eight.
At Emirates Old Trafford Maurice Chambers produced a career-best three-wicket haul as Northamptonshire kept alive their hopes of a place in the quarter-finals with a 19-run Duckworth-Lewis win over struggling Lancashire.
Chambers struck three times in the first six overs of the Lightning's pursuit of 201 in a 40-over game, leaving the score at 25-3, after rain had delayed the start of this Group A clash by two hours.
The rain returned with Lancashire, who now cannot qualify for the last eight, at 47-3 after 10.1 overs and a long way off the pace in terms of DL. Play did not restart.
Chambers finished with 3-29 from five, beating the 3-47 he took against Hampshire last week.
This was only Northamptonshire's second win in seven in this competition, but it meant victory over Essex at home in their final group game next Thursday - coupled with other results going their way - would be enough for a top-four
finish and progression.
Northamptonshire were also thankful to South African overseas opener Richard Levi as his 68 off 43 balls, with 13 fours and a six, underpinned what had looked only to be a fighting total at best, of 200-8.
