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Ronchi ready to rock winless Jets

Kiwi can star for Leicestershire

New Zealander Luke Ronchi loves to go after the new ball in T20 cricket
New Zealander Luke Ronchi loves to go after the new ball in T20 cricketCredit: Gareth Copley

Durham v Leicestershire
Sky Sports Cricket & Sky Sports Mix, 6.30pm Thursday

Leicestershire were champions in three of the first eight seasons of England's Twenty20 competitions and the Foxes have started their 2017 T20 Blast campaign with three wins out of three.

There is no shortage of experience in the Leicester ranks with former Australia internationals Clint McKay and Mark Cosgrove, South Africa-born pair Cameron Delport and Colin Ackermann and New Zealand opener Luke Ronchi forming a strong spine to the 11.

In contrast, hosts Durham have lost their first two games and the players who head their top-runscorer betting – Graham Clark and Adam Hickey – have played just 13 Twenty20 games between them.

Evergreen 41-year-old Paul Collingwood remains a rock for the Jets, scoring 48 and 38 in defeats to Lancashire and Northamptonshire, but the supporting cast looks limited and Durham are as big as 13-8 for a home win.

Leicestershire opener Ronchi caught the eye with 46 from 23 balls in Sunday's low-scoring win over Birmingham Bears and the sweet-striking Kiwi can lead the way again.

Only three other players reached 20 at Edgbaston and nobody came close to matching Ronchi's strike rate of 200.

The veteran wicketkeeper loves to attack the new ball. He opened for New Zealand in the Champions Trophy and his first two Blast innings of the season were 17 off seven balls against Lancashire and 27, including five fours, against Worcestershire.

Star batsmen Brendon McCullum, Dawid Malan and Eoin Morgan have failed to fire in the early rounds of the Blast for Middlesex and they are 4-5 to beat Kent, who failed to chase down 139 against Gloucestershire on Tuesday.

Hampshire, like Leicestershire, are protecting a perfect record of three wins from three when they take on struggling Sussex at the Rose Bowl. The home side are short enough at 4-7.

Recommendations
L Ronchi top Leicestershire runscorer
1pt 10-3 general

James MiltonRacing Post Sport

Published on 19 July 2017inCricket tips

Last updated 18:16, 19 July 2017

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