Seekkuge Prasanna had a debut to remember as Northamptonshire Steelbacks got their NatWest T20 Blast off to a winning start against Leicestershire Foxes at Grace Road.
It’s also Northants’ first win of the season after what has been an indifferent start in the County Championship and it ensured there was no repeat of last year, when they lost their first three T20 games.
A bad start and a sloppy finish from Northants’ bowlers meant Leicestershire posted 178-5 from their 20 overs, with Pakistan international Umar Akmal top-scoring with an unbeaten 52 off 32 balls.
But Sri Lankan all-rounder Prasanna shone with the ball while others struggled, as he produced figures of 1-21 from his four overs.
Richard Levi was to then smash 61 off just 29 deliveries, including seven fours and three sixes, to give the visitors a platform, but they made heavy weather of chasing what was a revised target after a 40-minute rain delay.
However, Prasanna held his nerve off the penultimate delivery, the first he faced, by hooking Ben Raine’s short ball over fine leg for six to hit the running runs.
Northants won the toss and chose to field, but Leicestershire openers Mark Pettini and Mark Cosgrove were to make them toil in the power play as the hosts made a terrific start.
They were 62-0 by the time the fielding restrictions were lifted, but Muhammad Azharullah gave the visitors the breakthrough they badly needed in the seventh over when he trapped Cosgrove lbw after the Australian had made 27.
This broke the opening partnership on 65 and Prasanna was to pick up his first wicket for Northants as Irish all-rounder Kevin O’Brien (14) smashed him to the waiting Josh Cobb at long off.
Graeme White was brought on in the 12th over and the Steelbacks spinner was to strike with his fifth delivery as he pinned Foxes captain Pettini lbw to end his innings on 43 off 35 balls.
Northants had managed to rein their hosts back in after their indifferent start and Rory Kleinveldt was next to profit as Leicestershire wicketkeeper Niall O’Brien (13) played his slower delivery on to his stumps.
Olly Stone was to claim the wicket of Tom Wells (21) when substitute Rob Keogh took a fine catch at third man, but it was a costly final over as 23 runs were leaked with Akmal completing his half-century off the last delivery.
Northants made a spectacularly fast start as Levi went straight on the attack and he was ably assisted by wicketkeeper Adam Rossington.
The latter was to fall on 23, however, when he slashed Rob Taylor to Neil Dexter at backward point in the fifth over to break the opening stand on 56.
But Levi was to reach 50 off just 20 balls before the power play was complete to put the Steebacks well ahead of the over rate, although Josh Cobb only made four before Jigar Naik trapped him lbw.
Levi then fell as he clothed a full toss from Ben Raine straight to Pettini at extra cover and Leicestershire were suddenly fancying their chances again.
But they were left frustrated as rain forced the players off at the end of the 11th over, and the delay was to mean the loss of two overs and a revised target of 164, meaning Northants now needed 53 runs from 42 balls.
But they were to lose Steven Crook (12) when he was run out by Rob Taylor from deep extra cover after being sent back by Ben Duckett when he tried to run a second off Kevin O’Brien.
The Steebacks required seven runs from the final over, but they lost captain Alex Wakely (3) at the start of it when he launched Raine to Taylor at deep midwicket.
But Prasanna sealed victory off the penultimate ball to crown an excellent debut. Northants will be hoping for more of the same when they hosts Derbyshire next Friday.
