The second round of the County Championship gets under way on Thursday and for the first time in a long time the Foxes are already up and running. Perennial strugglers Leicestershire went winless in Division Two last season, but ended the drought in eye-catching fashion against Yorkshire at Headingley last week. It was their first victory on the ground since the early days of George V and achieved by chasing down 389 in 85.5 overs.
It was also a significant day for one of the architects of the tense run chase. Peter Handscomb, 68 not out, and Chris Wright, unbeaten on 40, used all their experience to shepherd the visitors home with seven balls and three wickets to spare, but only after a maiden first-class century for Rishi Patel.
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The 24-year-old’s 125 from 205 balls was compiled resolutely after 33 innings without three-figures and one near-miss. Derbyshire are up next at Grace Road and Patel, like the club as a whole, is now wondering whether a corner has been turned.
“I don’t think I was playing much Bazball with a strike-rate of 60-odd,” he says. “But there was never the option of taking the draw – the messaging was always ‘see where we get to after tea’ and a confidence that, on a flat pitch with a short boundary, we could even score 100 off the final 10 overs if required.
“It was a great story and great to be part of it. But we have to go again this week, back up what we did at Yorkshire and realise where we can improve. And we have to keep our heads nice and cool.”
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Patel has already shown he possesses one. Out on 99 against Sussex last season and still striving to make his mark in county cricket after a move from Essex in late 2020 the opener left nothing to chance when closing in on three figures, slog-sweeping Dom Bess into the Western Terrace.
“I backed myself,” Patel says. “Once I had committed to playing the shot, it was always going in that direction. I definitely wasn’t going to leave it to singles this time. It’s a big relief to get your first century. I have high expectations and haven’t lived up to them in the last couple of years.
“Now it’s about enjoying my cricket, being free and being myself. It’s a club I have grown to love – a tight-knit unit – and I’m glad I made that move. I now want to score as many runs and hundreds as I can.”
In the quadrennial debate about Australians playing county cricket during an Ashes summer, it is notable Patel credits Handscomb for his advice in the middle in their vital 68-run stand. “Pete’s clarity and calmness out in the middle was so, so good. Having those guys in county cricket improves your game and gives you reassurance not to panic.”
Patel’s influences are many and varied, not least the backing he has received this year from his head coach, Paul Nixon, and captain, Lewis Hill. They recognised an opener who was short on runs, but not talent or hunger, as shown by a winter spell in Mumbai working at the Achievers Cricket Academy.
“It was nice to experience a different culture and the heat, guys bowling to you for hours on end,” he says. “I’d come back from long spells in the middle of the day, sun beating down, absolutely drenched and knackered but have to come back the next day. I will try to get back out there as much as I can.”
That said, Patel was also keen to get home and resume his relationship with Leicestershire’s batting consultant and former England player, James Taylor. “We have a lot of one-to-one sessions – his knowledge is unbelievable,” says Patel. “He’s such a great guy.”
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Another influence is a teammate six years Patel’s junior in Rehan Ahmed. Having sampled England’s new approach to Test cricket over the winter – and delivered a memorable five-wicket haul on debut in Karachi last December – the leg-spinning all-rounder is spreading the word at Grace Road.
Patel says: “The confidence he has come back with and the shots he plays … he’s someone who can set the world alight. Rehan also means there are a lot more eyes on us as a club, more people seeing the scorecards and watching the games. Hopefully, if we’re performing well, it doesn’t go unnoticed.”
The ambition is matched off the field, the club recently announcing a £60m proposal to redevelop the County Ground. “There’s a really positive vibe at the moment and it feels like something special could happen,” Patel says.
Time will tell, but one match into the new season, and thanks to a healthy dose of collective belief, progress has already been achieved.
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