Ali hits 80 on good day for County

REPORT | By Dominic Toner

Academy graduate Aadil Ali (80) hit his maiden half-century in first-class cricket to help Leicestershire record four batting points after posting an impressive 415 in their first innings against Gloucestershire at Grace Road.

It was very much a team batting performance though as six partnerships posted over 50 to show the strength across the whole order. Notably Ben Raine (51), Wayne White (38), and Clint McKay (29) made decent contributions in alliances with Ali.

In response Gloucestershire survived the final 6.5 overs of the day to finish 22-0 with bad light forcing the players off early.

Ali said: “I’d got close a few times, including two 40s against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham, so I was pleased to tick that off, especially at home in front of a decent crowd.”

“Earlier in the year we were struggling a bit with the bat, but we’ve worked very hard to put it right and I think the way just about everybody made a contribution shows. Six partnerships of over 50 tells the story.”

Leicestershire made a positive start in the morning with Dan Redfern playing some attacking shots and scoring fluently. Meanwhile the nightwatchman Sayer was adding valuable runs at the other end in support.

However Redfern (49) fell just short of his half-century when he was caught at cover by Peter Handscomb off the bowling of David Payne. This continued the trend of the opening three partnerships putting on stands of 59.

Soon after Sayer, who had added a creditable 32 runs to his over night score of two, was dismissed lbw by Hamish Marshall, leaving Leicestershire at 197-4. Sayer’s valuable knock of 34 was a career best.

In the next over Gloucestershire struck again and it was Payne who picked up his second wicket of the match as skipper Mark Cosgrove (12) flashed one straight at William Tavare who held on to a good catch at gully.

The visitors firmly had their tails up at this point and once again Payne (26-7-94-3) struck, finding the edge of Niall O’Brien (4) and wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick took a regulation catch behind the stumps.

With new pairing Ali and White looking to rebuild, it was White who took the initiative as lead run getter and was scoring at more than a run a ball early on in his innings. 

Rain arrived with one ball of the morning session remaining with the score 229-6 at the time. The players returned at 2:05 after a slightly longer lunch than usual, with 61.1 overs still scheduled to be bowled.

White continued his offensive approach after the interval including three well-struck boundaries off one over to see Leicestershire past 250.

A productive innings from White came to an end due to Norwell, who had the new ball in hand and found the slightest edge off the bat as Roderick took another catch.

The new batsman McKay played a range of aggressive shots, including a brace of cover drives that raced to the ropes and a fantastic four which flew straight down the ground over the bowler’s head. His innings ended on when edging to Chris Dent at second slip, who hung on to give Norwell his fourth of the innings (30-5-97-4).

Raine joined Ali at the crease, who had quietly been going about his business and was moving closer to fifty. The pair safely reached tea and Leicestershire were at 332-8.

After the interval Ali scored his first LV=CC 50 off 101 balls with a fifth four as he eclipsed his previous best of 42, which was also made against Gloucestershire. Raine, who came in at number 10, looked equally assured in his batting as he and Ali put on the highest stand of the innings (85).

The pair began to turn the style on, first through Raine hitting a cheeky reverse sweep that went away to the boundary, followed by Ali, who hit the first maximum of the innings over long-on.

The partnership was broken though on 399 when Ali’s superb knock came to an end. After hitting one straight up in the air off the bowling of Marshall, fielder Norwell got underneath the ball at mid-on.

County's final pairing went about adding runs quickly and Raine struck his 50 with some impressive big hits to the leg-side, although that was his downfall as he was caught well by Handscomb in the deep off the bowling of Marshall (13-5-30-3). 

The bowling attack had a brief spell in the evening to try make inroads in the Gloucestershire batting line up but unfortunately there was no breakthrough and the visitors resume tomorrow morning 22-0 with Tavare (12) and Dent (7) in bat.