Worcestershire! Kya socha tha, Leicestershire ke saamne apna jadoo chala loge? Vitality Blast ke is match mein, 15 June 2025 ko, Leicestershire Foxes ne Worcestershire Rapids ko aisa dhoya ki unka batting line-up ekdum thanda pad gaya. 150/8 ka chhota sa score banaya aur socha ki yeh kaafi hai? Arre bhai, yeh T20 hai, koi Test match nahi! Leicestershire ne 17 balls baki rehne tak target ko asani se paa liya, aur woh bhi sirf 4 wickets khokar. Yeh thi Ben Mike ki dhamakedar wapasi, jiska 4-1-14-3 ka spell ne Worcestershire ke hosh uda diye.
Lekin thodi der pehle tak toh Leicestershire ke fans ke chehre latke hue the. Pichle kuch matches mein unki team ka performance itna bekaar tha ki lagta tha jaise woh Vitality Blast ke group stage se hi bahar ho jayenge. Par yeh cricket hai, jahan ek din mein kahani palat sakti hai. Ben Mike, jo apne injury ke baad wapas aaye, ne apne bowling se sabko dikha diya ki Foxes ke paas abhi bhi dum hai. Unka ek wicket-maiden over, jahan Jake Libby ko Rehan Ahmed ke haathon out kiya, ne Worcestershire ke top order ko jhatka diya. Yeh wahi Mike hain, jinhone 2023 mein Leicestershire ke liye consistently wickets liye the, jab unhone County Championship mein Derbyshire ke khilaaf 5 wickets jhade the.
Leicestershire ka yeh jeet sirf Mike ke wajah se nahi aayi. Team ka saath bhi zabardast tha. Liam Trevaskis ne 2/25 ke saath unka saath diya, aur batting mein Louis Kimber ne 26* runs ke saath match ko finish kiya. Yeh wahi Kimber hain, jinhone 2022 mein Leicestershire ke liye ek T20 match mein 47 balls mein 8 wickets ke saath chase kiya tha, jab team ne 17 June 2022 ko Worcestershire ke khilaaf 8-wicket se jeet haasil ki thi. Aisa laga jaise Foxes ne apne purane din yaad kar liye ho. Unki fielding bhi kaabil-e-taarif thi, jahan Rehan Ahmed ke catch ne sabka dil jeet liya. X par ek fan ne likha, “Ben Mike pick of the bowlers he was excellent!” aur yeh baat bilkul sahi thi.
Ab thodi si tareef Worcestershire ke liye bhi banati hai. Unki team bhi toh koshish kar rahi thi. Jake Libby aur Adam Hose jaise players ke saath unke paas talent ki kami nahi hai. Hose toh 2024 mein Worcestershire ke liye top batter rahe the, jab unhone Leicestershire ke khilaaf 63 runs thoke the. Par is baar unka bat shant raha. Worcestershire ke bowlers, jaise Bertwistle aur Brett, ne bhi koshish ki, par Leicestershire ke batsmen unke saamne ekdum set the. Yeh match unke liye ek sabaq tha ki T20 mein consistency chahiye, naki sirf ek do players par bharosa.
Lekin yeh jeet Leicestershire ke liye ek nayi shuruaat ho sakti hai. Vitality Blast ke North Group mein abhi bhi unke paas chance hai top 4 mein jagah banane ka. 2024 mein Gloucestershire ne jab Somerset ko final mein haraya tha, tab kisi ne nahi socha tha ki ek chhoti si team itna bada dhamaka kar sakti hai. Leicestershire bhi aisa hi kuch kar sakta hai. Unke paas Mike, Kimber aur Rehan jaise young talents hain, jo kisi bhi badi team ko hara sakte hain. Yeh jeet unke liye ek confidence booster hai, aur shayad isse woh apne agle matches mein aur bhi shandaar khel dikhaye.
Par cricket mein yeh bhi sach hai ki aaj ka hero kal ka zero ho sakta hai. Leicestershire ke liye yeh jeet toh badi baat hai, par kya woh is momentum ko carry kar payenge? Agla match Nottinghamshire ke khilaaf hai, aur woh team koi aasan nahi hai. Worcestershire ke liye bhi waqt hai apne aap ko sudharne ka, par agar unhone aise hi batting ki toh shayad unka safar yahi khatam ho jayega. Cricket ka yeh khel hai hi aisa, jahan ek din aap sher hote ho, aur doosre din kisi aur ka shikar.
