Leicestershire were unable to make a winning start to the Royal London One-Day Cup as they suffered a seven-wicket defeat by Derbyshire Falcons at Grace Road.

The Foxes, having won the toss, were restricted to 248-9 in their 50 overs, Matt Boyce top-scoring with 64 while Mark Footitt took 5-59 for the visitors.

However, there was more bad news for Leicestershire with skipper Josh Cobb picking up a thumb injury and he was forced to retire hurt having made 20 – and was also ruled out of the home bowling attack.

He will have an X-ray on the injury on Monday to discover the full extent of the damage.

Falcons' skipper Wayne Madsen dominated the visitors' reply as he made an unbeaten 105 – his second century in as many days having set up his side's victory over Hampshire on Saturday.

Leicestershire had an outside chance of victory when they reduced the visitors to 123-3 in the 24th over. Madsen and West Indian star Shiv Chanderpaul slammed the door firmly on their prospects, though.

They put together an unbroken stand of 128 for the fourth wicket to see their side over the line with 4.5 overs remaining. Chanderpaul hit the winning boundary, bringing up his own half-century at the same time.

It is difficult to know just how strongly to gauge Leicester City's victory over Everton.

When the fixtures were announced more than a month ago, there was a certain irony about the opener. City would welcome Everton first up less than a month after facing them in a pre-season friendly in Thailand.

As such, yesterday's game was touted, in some parts, as a dress-rehearsal for when the sides meet on the opening day in 19 days time. Was that the case? Well, yes and no.

To say that City's victory has given them the upper hand going into season is pushing it too far.

City played very well, in fact they dominated the entirety of the second half. They created the better the chances and their victory was deserved. But it was, after all, just a pre-season friendly.

Everton did not have all of their stars on show. There was no Ross Barkley, for example, although Gareth Barry, Leon Osman and Steven Naismith did play.

City boss Nigel Pearson, as expected, was keen to underplay the victory. He praised the performance, of course, but he was more interested in the fact that his players had successfully "negotiated a worthwhile exercise". In other words, it was a glorified fitness test.

But the fact it was against the side they will meet on the opening day of their first Premier League campaign in a decade, means there is inevitably more to it than just that.

So, what, if anything, can we take from it? Firstly, that City should go into the game with Everton at the King Power Stadium on August 16 with confidence.

City would not necessarily have gone into the game with any fear, but it would be only natural, bearing in mind most of the squad have never experienced life in the Premier League, for the players to have a certain level of trepidation.

Now they have more of an idea. And the win, no matter what, will tell the players they can more than hold their own.

Also, City's fitness levels were impressive in the heat and humidity of the Supachalasai Stadium. They all looked sharp, despite most of the players having just 45 minutes of pre-season action under their belts from Ilkeston last week.

But the thing we learned most is just how vital Jamie Vardy will be for City this season.

Within moments of him coming on the pitch, he had Everton's back four at sixes and sevens. He set the tempo with blistering pace, pressing constantly even in the testing conditions. City will need that this season.

So, while it is doubtful Everton will feel any sort of psychological blow from their defeat, City have certainly given their fans reasons to be confident come August 16.

Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson believes his players more than held their own in their pre-season victory over Everton in Thailand.

Gary Taylor-Fletcher's second-half strike rounded off an encouraging performance in yesterday's 1-0 win.

And the two sides will meet again for real in the opening game of the Premier League season on August 16.

After an even first half, which saw David Nugent have a stunning volley disallowed for offside and Kasper Schmeichel twice deny Everton, City took control of the second period in hot and humid conditions.

"It was a very interesting game in many ways," said Pearson, whose side were awarded a special trophy for their victory that marked the 25th anniversary of King Power International.

"Everton showed a lot of quality in possession in the first half but, in the second half, we were in the ascendancy.

"We changed our shape, and that was always going to be one of the things we were going to consider.

"Plenty of players had pitch-time again so, all in all, it has been a good day for us."

There was a first appearance for City's new record signing Leonardo Ulloa – who played the first 45 minutes alongside Nugent – following his move from Brighton.

The Argentinian had a quiet debut, despite making some clever runs, but Pearson said he saw enough to know he will have a lot to give this season.

"He has only been with us a few days, he is probably not at the same level fitness-wise as the others," said the City boss.

"It is pretty clear that he is a very clever football man. He will fit in nicely for us."

Around 8,000 fans packed into the Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok for the game, and Pearson said it had been a great chance for his side to put on a show for their huge Thai following.

"One of the important things about our visit is that we are a bit more visible to them," said Pearson. "The Thai people know about us but they haven't had the opportunity to see us play in the flesh.

"It was a pre-season game, and we played against a very good side. We go home with a very worthwhile exercise negotiated without picking up any injuries."

A six-year-old girl whose leg was broken when she was knocked down by a hit-and-run driver is fighting her way back to fitness.

Habeebah Sadiq was left lying injured at the side of the road in Highfields, Leicester, nearly two weeks ago. Her leg was broken in two places.

The driver, who hit Habeebah as she crossed the road to a playground, did not stop to see if she was okay.

Police have appealed for help tracing the motorist.

Habeebah now has a large cast on her leg and is recovering at home, her father, Mohammed, said.

Mohammed, 38, said the family, who live near the Maidstone Road crash site, took turns to stay by his daughter's bedside at the Leicester Royal Infirmary while she was treated.

He said: "Habeebah is home now and has a walking frame and she is doing her best to walk, slowly, with it.

"She is a very strong and independent girl and she is determined to get better.

"The broken leg is the worst thing.

"She also had a bruise on her head, but that is all. It could have been far more serious.

"As well as the walking frame, we've also got a deck-chair for her to sit in and stretch her leg out.

"She doesn't liked being cooped up in the house, she wants to be outside.

"She has been inundated with gifts from friends and neighbours and we have had phone calls from friends and family all over the world.

"It has been lovely to see so much concern and compassion for her and we are very grateful for all the good wishes and support people have shown."

Habeebah was struck by a silver car, possibly a Mazda, at 2pm on July 16.

"She doesn't remember anything about being hit by the car," said Mohammed.

"A woman from down the road heard my daughter scream and went outside to find out what was going on.

"The car had not stopped and Habeebah was in a lot of pain.

"That lady comforted my daughter while one of my other daughters ran to the house to tell us what had happened.

"We took her to hospital straight away and the people there were fantastic.

"My daughter was in a lot of pain at first and she was very frightened about being away from home and in a hospital.

"The people in A&E and then ward 11 were fantastic and very friendly and informal.

"I am sure the way they made Habeebah feel relaxed about being in hospital took away half of her pain.

"We also stayed at the hospital for four days after the accident. I went in during the day and my wife went there from 8.30pm until 10am the next day.

"The people at the hospital accommodated us and were very supportive and made us comfortable.

"We want to say 'thank you' to everybody who has helped us and Habeebah during this difficult time."

A police spokeswoman said: "We appeal to anyone who witnessed the incident, or if you believe you were involved, to come forward."

Anyone with information should call Pc Charles Amodio on 101, or Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111.

You can never read too much into pre-season friendlies but, on this showing, Leicester City should go into their Premier League opener with Everton full of confidence.

Their 1-0 victory over the Toffees in Thailand, courtesy of Gary Taylor-Fletcher's second-half winner, produced plenty of encouraging signs for City boss Nigel Pearson.

The main one was striker Jamie Vardy. His performance in the second half showed everyone why the former Fleetwood man simply has to start when these two sides meet, for real, on August 16.

Just minutes after going on after the restart, one of nine changes made by Pearson at the break, Vardy showed his breathtaking pace to storm past John Stones, who had no idea what had just happened.

Stones will not be the only Premier League defender to experience that this season.

The England centre-back recovered well to block the eventual shot but it did not take long before Vardy had the ball in the net, although his neat finish into the far corner was ruled out for offside.

Like so often last season, Vardy set the tempo of the whole side from the front, not just with his pace but also his tenacity at harassing defenders and giving them not a moment's rest.

As such, City dominated much of the second half.

It was no surprise then that, ultimately, Vardy would be at the heart of City's opener in front of an 8,000-strong crowd in the Supachalasai Stadium in Bangkok, in a game to mark the 25th anniversary of King Power International.

He outpaced the onrushing Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles to the ball out right, before cutting inside and squaring to Taylor-Fletcher for the tap-in just after the hour-mark.

One of few slight downsides, from a City perspective, was the debut of Leonardo Ulloa.

The club's record signing struggled to make much of an impact in his 45 minutes and, despite making some clever runs, never really had much of a touch.

It will be a difficult decision for Pearson as to which of his three main strikers he starts with on the opening day as David Nugent also put forward a strong case.

The boyhood Everton fan got his pre-season off to a flying start with a brace at Ilkeston last week, his first coming just 41 seconds after he went on to the pitch.

He nearly added a third to his tally before the break against Everton in sensational fashion when he thumped a right-footed volley into the top corner, only to be denied by a marginal off-side call.

The first half had been much more of an even contest with both sides creating chances.

Anthony Knockaert and Marc Albrighton both caused Everton problems on the flanks, the former with his trickery and flair, the latter with his excellent delivery from out wide.

Everton, who fielded a strong side despite missing some star names such as Ross Barkley, had their moments, though, and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel proved just how important he will be for City this season.

The Denmark international was in imperious form, punching clear a Luke Garbutt free-kick before keeping out Leon Osman's thunderous strike.

Riyad Mahrez, fresh from his World Cup exploits with Algeria, also showed why many have tipped him to be a hit in the top flight this season.

He picked out Andy King with a delightful reverse through-ball before shooting wide with a strike of his own.

Teams:

City (First half, 4-4-2): Schmeichel, De Laet, Morgan, Moore, Konchesky, Albrighton, Drinkwater, James, Knockaert, Nugent, Ulloa.

City (second half, 4-2-3-1): Hamer, Moore, Morgan, Wasilewski, Schlupp, King, Hammond, Mahrez, Taylor-Fletcher, Vardy, Wood.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Robles, Hibbert, Distin, Duffy, Garbutt, McCarthy, Barry, McGeady, Osman, Pienaar, Naismith. 

Subs: Stones, Alcaraz, Gibson, McAleny, Long, Browning, Kennedy, Hope, Lundstram, Stanek.

Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Police have named the woman who died after a four vehicle crash on the M1 yesterday.

Mrs Anne Pattrick , (72) of Boston, Lincolnshire, received fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene after the incident on the southbound carriageway of the M1 motorway at junction 21A.

The collision occurred just after 8am and involved a Scania LGV, Ford Anglia, Ford Ka and a Mazda MX5.

Mrs Pattrick was a passenger in the Ford Anglia.

The driver of the Ford Anglia, a woman, remains in University Hospital Coventry in a stable condition.

The passenger in the Ford Ka, also a woman, has since been discharged from Leicester Royal Infirmary.

A 30-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the incident and has since been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

Officers from East Midland's serious collision investigation unit are appealing for witnesses to the incident.

Detective Constable 4406 Kath Orr, who is investigating the collision, said: "There were a number of vehicles travelling along the motorway yesterday morning.

"If anyone witnessed the collision and has n't yet spoken with the police please get in touch."

People can contact the police by calling 101.

Harry Redknapp has confirmed QPR are in the race to sign Leicester City transfer target Troy Deeney but Burnley manager Sean Dyche has admitted he cannot afford the Watford striker.

The QPR boss said the club's chairman Tony Fernandes has held talks with the Hornets over their captain, who has attracted the interest of several Premier League sides, including City.

City have already had two bids rejected for Deeney, who scored 25 goals for Watford last season, the latter of which was believed to be in the region of £7.5million.

"He's a player that interests me," said Redknapp. "The chairman has been talking to Watford but I think there's one or two other clubs bidding as well.

"I think Burnley came and made an offer and Leicester too, so we'll have to wait and see with that one."

City, Burnley and Swansea have made official bids as has another Championship and Premier League club. Everton and Norwich City are two of the other teams believed to be interested.

It is understood Burnley had an initial bid of £4.5m, with add-ons, rejected earlier this month but later reports claimed the Clarets had made another plump for Deeney, to the tune of £8m.

But Dyche, who worked with Deeney during his time in charge at Vicarage Road, dismissed those claims, saying the striker is now out of their price range.

"I don't know what sort of club they think we are and I'm not sure what happened there," Dyche told Sky Sports. "There must have been a financial bypass by someone for them to link us with him for £8m."

"He is among many players that we admire but we have a certain brief from the club that we have to work to and it is important that the club have a base to work from financially. We can't entertain £8m players I can assure you of that."

A woman has sparked a twitter debate on one of the big issues of today - has Leicester football legend Gary Lineker got better looking with age.

Shelley@shellpembs launched the online discussion yesterday with the tweet: "Is it just me or does anyone else think @GaryLineker has got better looking as he has got older???"

The question posed by Shelley, from Pembrokeshire, who describes herself as: "a crazy cat lady, loves a laugh, chat, music, tv and gin and tonic", has got lots of people tweeting.

Modest Gary, who played for Leicester City and England, tweeted to Shelley: "It's you!"

But many fans begged to differ, with women and men agreeing with Shelley.

Mel Bradbury posted: "He is like a fine wine, gets better with age."

Kat Hedley tweeted: "Definitely - and I was set on marrying him when I was 4 years old (1986) :D"

James Downing posted: "I agree and I'm straight."

But there were dissenters who poked fun at our hero.

Shazza said: "Spec savers that away >>>>"

James Hubbard posted a picture of Gary when he was a young player at Leicester City.

James tweeted: "Better looking than when he was younger? Surely not! #GeorgeClooney."

Shelley's tweet has been favourited more than 230 times.

What do you think about the older Gary?

One of the city's two municipal golf courses will close under proposals being put forward by Leicester City Council. The council has said it can no longer afford the £186,000 it costs each year to subsidise the municipal courses it runs in Western Park and Humberstone Heights. Following a public consultation into their future, in which nearly 3,000 people responded, and discussions with both clubs, City Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby today announced that the preferred option is to close Western Park. The plan is to shut the course – the smaller of the two – over a period of 12 months, and invest in Humberstone Heights, which boasts more members, better facilities and offers more activities. Starting today, there will be a three-month public consultation on the proposal. Sir Peter said the move would allow the city council to make the savings it needs, while still providing a quality public golf course in the city with a "sustainable and secure" future. He said: "We've had to look at a number of factors, including membership figures, facilities, location and financial viability. "Humberstone Heights offers far more facilities than Western Park, and therefore is better value for money. "It has also consistently made more money and require less subsidy than Western Park." Sir Peter added: "The area around Humberstone Heights is not well-served by other council sports facilities, so it is an important local provision."Customers from Western Park could move across to Humberstone Heights as they are only a few miles apart. "This could be a way of making savings while still ensuring we provide a quality public golf course. But we want to hear what people think before we make a decision." The council was considering closing both courses as it looks to save cash from its £2.9million sport and leisure budget. In the original consultation, which ended in April, 99 per cent of golfers using the two courses wanted the council to continue the subsidy. It saw representatives from both clubs discuss the options with the council, and put forward business arguments for retaining their course. To have your say visit the city council consultation page HERE.

A press officer and confidante of the Beatles has died.

Bess Coleman, who started her career as a reporter on the Leicester Mercury, was found dead at her home in Australia earlier this month.

Ms Coleman, who worked with the Fab Four at the height of their fame, was 72.

The former Lutterworth Grammar School pupil lived in the Blue Mountains town of Kurrajong, New South Wales, about 50 miles from Sydney. She leaves two brothers and a sister.