Yuzvendra Chahal, an Indian leg-spinner, performed a miracle, taking five wickets in his second consecutive game as Northamptonshire held off a comeback from Leicestershire to win by nine runs.
Yuzvendra Chahal, an Indian leg-spinner, worked his magic to take five wickets in his second consecutive match as Northamptonshire held off a Leicestershire comeback to win by nine wickets in the England County Championship. Chahal followed up his 4/82 in the first innings with 5/134, a nine-wicket match haul, as Northants wiped out Leicestershire for 316, setting an easy target of 137 in the Division Two County Championship on Thursday. Northants cruised to victory in 30.3 overs, losing just Gus Miller (11).
George Bartlett (54 not out) and skipper Luke Procter (68 not out) completed the chase.
Following a 69/4 start on the last day of play, Leicestershire rallied thanks to solid batting from Tom Scriven (48) and Scott Currie (120), the latter of whom was removed by Chahal for his fifth wicket.
However, Chahal played a key role in shattering Leicestershire’s middle and lower classes.
Lewis Hill, the captain, was among the important players he removed with a well-pitched Liam Trevaskis (2) made a grab at short leg after a delivery that veered sharply.
Even though Currie and Scriven put on a vigorous 110-run (141 balls) partnership, which included a costly 19-run over, Chahal’s perseverance paid off as he eventually took Currie’s wicket, sending them reeling at 303/9.
Louis Kimber was dismissed by Saif Zaib (2/61) during the final three overs of their innings.
Chahal scored five for forty-five and four for forty-five in Northants’ 133-run victory over Derbyshire in the prior game.
