THE Leicester connection was not enough for Derbyshire in their Pro40 League match at Grace Road yesterday.

Chris Rogers, John Sadler and Tom New all threatened to turn the game the way of the Phantoms as they chased a modest 184 for victory but the late charge fell short by six runs.

Rogers and Sadler are former Leicestershire players, while New, coming to the end of his loan period, is still current but it was the next generation of Foxes who made the more telling contributions on the day.

An unbeaten 43 from 18-year-old James Taylor proved a welcome boost in taking Leicestershire to a more defendable total, then 4-26 from 20-year-old seamer Sam Cliff put the skids under the Derbyshire reply.

Smart work from 19-year-old wicketkeeper Joel Pope, on his debut, contributed in cutting short the efforts of the middle order but still the Phantoms almost repeated their late heroics of four days earlier to pull victory out of the bag.

Derbyshire made a dreadful start to their reply on a slow, seaming wicket, as they slipped to 10-3 in the seventh over of the contest.

All three went to Cliff, with Derbyshire's Greg Smith bowled by the fourth ball of the innings, Wavell Hinds caught trying to hit over mid on and Rikki Clarke following first ball, playing on to his stumps.

But Rogers stood firm and found Sadler good company in the fourth-wicket stand of 68 in 13 overs that lifted their side back into contention.

Sadler struck a sweet straight six off his former team-mate Jim Allenby but aimed a loose stab at the first ball from left-arm spinner Claude Henderson and was caught behind by Pope for 25 at 78-4.

Pope removed Dan Redfern with an excellent stumping off Henderson.

But, with the weight tipping steadily onto his shoulders, Rogers completed a half century to keep the Phantoms in the game.

When the captain miscued a catch to long off for 61, made off 85 balls with seven fours, Derbyshire appeared to have lost their best remaining chance of the win, especially as Graham Wagg and Jon Clare followed shortly after.

But New, his confidence high from the late surge in the tie against Yorkshire, was not about to make it easy for his parent club.

New's stand of 44 for the ninth wicket with Ian Hunter put the game in the balance again.

Hunter is not renowned for his batting but can prove more than useful at the bottom of the order and his 24 off 26 balls was admirable.

It was a pity that he drove to extra cover in the 37th over because, with 21 runs needed off the last three overs, the contest was edging towards Derbyshire.

New did all he could, stroking twos off the first three balls of the penultimate over, to leave eight needed off nine balls.

A single gave the strike to Nayan Doshi, who kept out the first ball he faced from Dillon de Preez but not the second.

New was left stranded on 36 not out, made off 40 balls with three fours and was so nearly the hero.

But it would have been hard to say with a clear conscience that Derbyshire would have deserved their win.