'Wheels not off' after first Leics loss
Leicestershire's first defeat of the season will not trigger panic, says Foxes all-rounder Logan van Beek.Sunday's five-wicket T20 Blast loss to Northants Steelbacks came two days after the County Championship Division Two leaders opened their white-ball campaign with victory against East Midlands rivals Derbyshire.Two wickets lost in the first over and an early batting collapse had Leicestershire at 39-7 and staring at the prospect of setting a club-record low total in the competition.A knock of 42 from Van Beek helped then to 122 all out, and while they had Northants 75-4 in the 14th over, Ravi Bopara's unbeaten 46 off 40 balls took them home with four balls to spare."We just had a terrible start, and that doesn't mean the wheels have fallen off or anything like that," Van Beek told BBC Radio Leicester."We just have to acknowledge it. We had a bad start, that was it. We now have another game in two days' time, so let's click into that."
Van Beek says the early difficulties at Wantage Road did nothing to diminish the new levels of confidence the side has found in the opening months of the season.Head coach Alfonso Thomas has spoken in recent weeks about how it has taken "baby steps" to lift Leicestershire out of the County Championship doldrums to the top of the Division Two table.Their five victories in seven matches leading up to the start of the T20 campaign is as many wins as they managed in the second tier of the red-ball game between 2019 and 2024."Even in this situation, because we have been winning you kind of have a bit of an instinct that 'all right we can pull this out of the fire here'," Van Beek said."You have a good feeling going into games and a good feeling going into situations knowing you are winning and have the momentum."Leicestershire are next in action on Wednesday at Old Trafford where they face North Group leaders Lancashire Lightning, who have won all three of their T20 matches.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
38 minutes ago
- The Sun
All the shops closing this weekend including iconic department store shutting after 124 years
A HOST of stores are shutting for good this weekend including a historic department store. Retailers have struggled over recent years as shoppers' wallets and purses take a hit from high inflation. 1 An increase in employer National Insurance contributions and wage costs since April has added to the pressure. Combined with soaring business rates, energy and rental costs, some retailers have been forced to hike prices and even shut stores. It's worth bearing in mind of course that retailers close shops for a host of reasons and not always because of a poor economic backdrop. Sometimes chains will shut a poorly-performing branch in one area and open another further afield where they think they'll see better footfall. Plenty of retailers are moving away from high streets and towards out-of-town retail parks too. In any case, five shops will shut this weekend including a more than 120-year-old department store. Here is the full list of shops we know are closing down permanently. Ginger Norwich-based Ginger will pull down its shutters for the final time on Saturday. The shop was founded by David and Rodger Kingsley in 1978 following the success of their sister company Jonathan Trumbull in 1971. But current store manager Beckie Kingsley said the store will close due to the economic climate and aftermath of Covid-19. Britain's retail apocalypse: why your favourite stores KEEP closing down She said: "It's with truly heavy hearts that, after 46 unforgettable years, we have made the incredibly difficult decision to close the doors at our beautiful, beloved and historic Timber Hill home. "We've weathered many storms over the decades, but there's been ongoing challenges of today's financial climate - coupled with the lasting impact and huge shifts within the retail landscape since Covid. "This led us to ask - does it still work for us? After deep reflection, the answer, sadly, is no." Daniel of Ealing Historic department store Daniel of Ealing, in London, will shut for good on Sunday, after opening 124 years ago. Prices have been slashed across homeware, fashion, toys, sportswear and shoes, with up to 50% off. Shoppers finding out the iconic shop will close have shared their dismay online. One posted saying: "Loved this shop and it's top floor restaurant." While another added: "Ealing has lost its heart, soul and uniqueness!" The Works Stationer The Works is shutting its Margate store on Sunday, with shoppers' next nearest branches in Westwood Cross Shopping Centre or Ramsgate Garden Centre. A spokesperson for the chain said the decision to shut the branch had been made "as part of ongoing plans to optimise our store portfolio". The move has been met with sadness by shoppers, with one online stating: "No I love The Works." Another dejectedly added: "Be nothing left in the town soon." Emporium Worthing Independent bar and shop Emporium Worthing is closing to the public on Sunday "with a heavy heart". The owners posted a lengthy statement on Facebook announcing the closure. It said: "We share the challenging decision to close Emporium Worthing after five memorable years of serving you. "This has been a tough choice for us, but after careful reflection, we believe it is the best path forward and the right choice for us at this time." A huge closing down sale has been launched to clear stock, even including fixtures and fittings from inside. It's not all bad news though as the Emporium will be moving online and selling hardwares. New Look New Look is closing its branch in the Northfield Shopping Centre, Birmingham, on June 8. A picture recently posted on Facebook of the shop window advertised the closure and signposted customers to the retailer's website. Customers finding out about the closure have been left gutted. One posted on Facebook: "Will soon be a ghost town, absolutely nothing left." A New Look spokesperson said: "We would like to thank all of our colleagues and the local community for their support over the years. "We hope customers continue to shop with us online at where our full product ranges can be found." RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs would cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research published by the British Chambers of Commerce earlier this year shows that more than half of companies planned to raise prices by early April. Separately, the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
England T20 captain Harry Brook: I'm already preparing for 2026 World Cup
Friday's 21-run win over the West Indies in Durham was Brook's first outing as skipper in the format but he knows time is short to get his feet under the table. England have just 14 more games scheduled before the next global tournament in India and Sri Lanka in February, meaning the time is now when it comes to making plans. Dip. Grip. Past the edge 😮💨 Back in the team 🦁Straight in the wickets 👏 Liam Dawson | #ENGvWI — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 That meant lining up with just two seamers for the first ever time in home conditions, with 12 overs of spin giving a hint at the structure England are likely to lean on in the sub-continent. While Brook's predecessor Jos Buttler set things up with a dominant knock of 96, Liam Dawson walked away with the player-of-the-match award in his first international appearance in nearly three years. The 35-year-old Hampshire stalwart claimed career-best figures of four for 20, while there were also wickets for Adil Rashid and Jacob Bethell. 'We don't want to look too far ahead but we've got to trial some things like this,' said Brook. 'The next World Cup is going to be in Sri Lanka and India. We're not completely set on this structure for the team but it's worth a go and it worked this time. 'I just think that having two very good spinners – frontline spinners – makes a massive difference. 'As a batter, when you're facing two experienced spin bowlers, you have to decide which end you're going to attack. 'These two (Rashid and Dawson) have been playing the game for so long, they know T20 cricket, they know the grounds and they've played against so many of these boys, that having them both in the side will help us going forward.' Dawson, who has been overlooked consistently for a rotating cast of spinners with inferior records on the county circuit, was praised for an 'awesome' comeback performance that saw him get the best of Johnson Charles, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase and Rovman Powell. 'He bowled beautifully. He's got so many skills. He's been playing the game for pushing on 20 years and he's learned a lot of things along the way,' said Brook. The West Indies were frustrated to be missing one of their own left-arm spinners on a helpful pitch for the slower bowlers. Akeal Hosein has yet to make it to English soil after delays related a change in UK visa requirements for Trinidad and Tobago. Cricket West Indies said 'attempts to expedite the visa process' had been unsuccessful but a spokesperson confirmed on Friday that the 32-year-old could arrive ahead of Tuesday's series finale in Southampton. One of our greatest white-ball players ever 🙌 Match Highlights: | @JosButtler — England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 6, 2025 All-rounder Jason Holder said: 'He was missed, he's one of our frontline players. It's an unfortunate situation. 'We can't control that so we can only control what's in front of us. We've got players here who are willing and able to do a job for the West Indies. 'We had a team that was good enough to beat England but we fell a little short, particularly with the bat.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Sale's Du Preez brothers: It's an emotional end of an era - selfishly we wanted Jean-Luc's move to fail!
At the entrance to Sale Sharks' Carrington training centre, a slogan is painted on the wall to remind those who visit of the club's ethos and values. Part of it reads: 'A team. A community. A family.'
