Leicestershire pushing for fast start to T20 Blast despite Mark Cosgrove absence

The South Australian is not allowed to play after being hit on the head in the nets preparing for the Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire

Leicestershire will be without big-hitting batsman Mark Cosgrove when the Foxes start their Vitality Blast T20 campaign at home to Lancashire tonight.

The South Australian is not allowed to play after being hit on the head in the nets preparing for the Specsavers County Championship match against Gloucestershire in Cheltenham earlier this week.

Medical protocol means he is not allowed to play for six days after being hit.

“Mark feels fine and that he’s good to go but we obviously respect the protocol and all being well he’ll be available for second game, against Birmingham on Sunday,” said Foxes’ head coach Paul Nixon.

“It’s a blow, but it doesn’t lessen our excitement about getting stuck into the competition in front of what will hopefully be a big crowd at the Fischer County Ground.”

Nixon will pick his starting XI from a group that will include several players who have not figured in recent red-ball squads, including off-spinning all-rounder Arron Lilley and batsman Aadil Ali. Left-arm seamer Dieter Klein and wicketkeeper-batsman Lewis Hill also return after missing the trip to Cheltenham.

^{Mark Cosgrove is unavailable for Friday night's game}

“It’s a chance for a few guys to seize a place and make it their own,” Nixon said.

“As a relatively small club we have to bring through our youngsters and give them a chance, and there are some exciting talents among them, the likes of [all-rounder] Ben Mike, who a lot of spectators won’t have seen too much of.”

Left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson will also figure in the squad, and Nixon paid tribute to the young Lancastrian, whose mother passed away on Monday evening. Parkinson chose to continue to play in the match at Cheltenham, insisting it would have been what his mother wanted.

“We already had great respect for Callum as a cricketer and a man, but that has increased hugely,” said Nixon. “He’s an unbelievable team man and he gave everything he had in our fight to save the game, which we so nearly did.

“It will be an unbelievably emotional night for him on Friday, with his twin brother Matt in the Lancashire side, and all the rest of the family watching. We gave him all the support we could, but it shows what character the lad has.”

Leicestershire will be desperately hoping the weather improves sufficiently for tonight's game with the forecast suggesting the weather is set to clear in time.

Courtesy of the ECB Reporters Network.

To celebrate England winning the World Cup you can subscribe to The Cricketer for just £20.19. Click here to learn more