Abbas, Raine & Dearden on song for Foxes
Mon 20 Aug 2018
SCORE | Day 2 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Leicestershire CCC 220 & 126-5 v Kent CCC 195
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REACTION | Leicestershire CCC opener Harry Dearden spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps
REPORT | Muhammad Abbas and Ben Raine shared all ten first innings wickets as Leicestershire CCC built a handy advantage on the second day of the important Specsavers County Championship game against Kent CCC.
The Pakistan international took career-best figures in county cricket of six for 48 while Raine claimed four for 62 as Leicestershire CCC banked a useful first innings lead of 25.
Ned Eckersley also played a full part in the visitors’ first innings, taking two sensational one-handed catches as part of a spell where he featured in five successive dismissals.
Leicestershire CCC moved 151 ahead by closing at 126 for five at stumps, opener Harry Dearden holding firm with a gutsy, disciplined unbeaten 61 despite several interruptions due to bad light and rain. Ivan Thomas claimed four for 50 for Kent CCC.
Fortunes fluctuated in a fascinating first session, just as they have throughout this absorbing contest.
Conditions were brighter at the start of play as Kent CCC resumed at 53 for three, with Abbas and Raine continuing to bowl for the Foxes.
Joe Denly (62) played particularly positively, putting the pressure on the bowlers and fielders at every opportunity, and 33 runs came from the opening six overs.
Leicestershire CCC needed to change the momentum, and Eckersley provided the inspiration with a brilliant grab diving to his right as Abbas dismissed skipper Sam Billings (5).
The same combination accounted for Zak Crawley (10) - this one being a far more straightforward catch for the ‘keeper - leaving the visitors at 100 for five in the 25th over.
A stand developed between debutant Ollie Robinson and Denly, who progressed to 50 (71b) with a fluent straight drive, the seventh four of his innings.
The duo extended their alliance to fifty inside 11 overs, with Robinson looking at his best when playing through the off-side, but Raine returned to inflict three key blows.
Two wickets fell in the 38th over; Robinson (26) nicked to the 'keeper while Stevens (0) tickled a delivery that shaped down the leg-side and Eckersley flung himself to his left to pocket another stunner.
Eckersley then stood up to ensure the batsmen could not get too far forward to Raine, and the bowler hit the back pad of lynchpin Denly in front of the stumps to leave the visitors at 164 for eight in the 42nd over.
Harry Podmore (16) and Grant Stewart (12) went for their strokes in the afternoon session, sharing 24 before the former dragged Abbas on to his stumps to become the Pakistan star’s fifth victim. The last pair couldn’t quite guide Kent CCC to a batting point as Stewart drove Abbas to Ateeq Javid at cover.
Leicestershire CCC had an encouraging start as Paul Horton (8) guided two fours in Stevens’ opening over, but the skipper was then trapped in front by Stewart at the start of the fifth.
Dearden looked strong driving through the off-side, and Ackermann settled alongside him in the face of some testing bowling.
The floodlights were taking more of an effect as Stevens switched to the Pavilion End to bowl the 13th over, and the players came off with the score at 37 for one after 13.2 overs.
Tea was taken at this point, and Ackermann imposed himself on the visiting attack with three superb strokes when play resumed at 4.05pm.
The first shot was crashed through to the cover boundary with minimal fuss, while the second and third were dispatched behind square on the leg-side for four and six respectively.
Ackermann’s stand with Dearden was worth 69 when Thomas brought one back to trap the No.3 lbw for 31, and there was another hiatus for bad light shortly afterwards.
Umpires Neil Bainton and Jeremy Lloyds conducted an inspection at 5pm, but rain then started to fall, delaying a restart until 5.20pm. Mark Cosgrove (0) fell to the second ball back, a nick off Thomas being well-held by Sean Dickson at first slip.
Dearden moved to his third First XI half-century in four innings from 86 balls (8x4) but lost another couple of partners to Thomas in the 30th over. Javid (8) gloved a leg-side delivery, with Billings completing the dismissal behind the stumps, while Eckersley (0) was trapped leg before.
Leicestershire CCC had slipped from 82 for one to 106 for five after Thomas’ second successive four-wicket haul, and Raine launched a counter-attack. The all-rounder hit Thomas for two fours and a three through the off-side, and also pulled Podmore down to fine-leg for four more to put the Foxes 150 ahead.
The light closed in for a third time at 6.20pm with 14 overs still remaining, but this time conditions did not improve sufficiently to allow play to recommence, so half an hour will be added on to tomorrow's timings.
TEAM | Dearden, Horton (capt), Ackermann, Cosgrove, Javid, Eckersley (wk), Raine, Chappell, Parkinson, Griffiths, Abbas.
Concussion replacement: Klein for Chappell.
FIGURES | Abbas 17.2-4-48-6, Raine 21-8-62-4, Griffiths 7-1-33-0, Klein 7-1-29-0.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Muhammad Abbas bowling today.
* Tickets for the remainder of this gripping Specsavers County Championship game against Kent CCC are available through our website HERE
