Monty Panesar and Johan Louw were almost the most unlikely of batting heroes as they put on an unbroken stand of 41 for the ninth wicket but ran out of time as Leicestershire just held on.

After winning the toss, the Foxes made an impressive 268-6 in their 50 overs with HD

Ackerman scoring a superb 139 – a record score for a Leicestershire batsman against Northants at the County Ground in this competition.

James Allenby (21) and Boeta Dippenaar also contributed as the Steelbacks bowling lacked penetration – Panesar only bowling four overs – after a good start.

Northants reply got off to a bad start as Stephen Peters, Andrew Hall and Rob White all fell cheaply.

At 98-5, they looked doomed but Niall O'Brien hit an excellent 95 as he and Lance Klusener (42) put on 76 for the sixth wicket.

O'Brien fell to a stunning catch from Ryan Cummins and when Klusener was eighth man out on 202, Leicestershire thought they were home.

But Louw and Panesar had other ideas and struck several boundaries with adventurous hitting - but the task was just beyond them.

NORTHANTS STEELBACKS

Peters c du Preez b Cummins 1
O'Brien c Cummins b Malik 95
Hall b Cummins 6
Sales c Nixon b Malik 1
R White c Nixon b Kruger 4
Boje st Nixon b Henderson 19
Klusener c Nixon b Kruger 42
Van der Wath lbw b Henderson 25
Louw not out 35
Panesar not out 17
Extras (lb 5, w 12) 17
Total (for 8 wickets, 50 overs) 261

Bowling: Du Preez 10-0-63-0, Cummins 8-0-35-2, Malik 10-1-45-2, Kruger 10-0-65-2, Henderson 10-0-38-2, Allenby 2-0-10-0

LEICESTERSHIRE FOXES
New c O'Brien b Louw 14
Ackerman c Boje b van der Wath 139
Allenby st O'Brien b Boje 21
Dippenaar c Peters b Brown 23
Nixon c Sales b van der Wath 15
Du Toit c van der Wath b Hall 18
Henderson not out 9
Du Preez not out 10
Extras 19
Total (for six wickets, 50 overs) 268

Bowling: van der Wath 10-0-41-2, Klusener 7-1-45-0, Louw 6-0-48-1, Hall 10-0-58-1, Brown 7-0-29-1, Panesar 4-0-21-0, Boje 5-0-24-1


The Evening Telegraph on Monday will have full match report and pictures