Azad ton leads the Running Foxes to a hard-fought draw

DAY FOUR | Leicestershire CCC 375 and 295 for three v Surrey CCC 672 for 8d

POINTS | Leicestershire CCC 13, Surrey CCC 15

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Hassan Azad posts a first-class best, alongside Lewis Hill's third successive half-century as the Running Foxes claim a draw against a Surrey CCC side full of international stars.

The final day got underway from the Oval as Hassan Azad (13*) and Sam Evans (5*) made their way to the middle, in a day where the Leicestershire aim was simple, bat the day out.

The duo got off to a solid start, Azad especially after posting back-to-back boundaries off the bowling of Jamie Overton, as that man also brought up the Running Foxes’ fifty after tucking Kemar Roach away for his sixth boundary of the innings.

Prior to this, there was a delay in play as Sam Evans took a Roach bouncer to the helmet. The concussion protocols were safely carried out, and following a swift change in headwear, play resumed as the batsman remained at the crease.

The bombardment from the Surrey seam attack continued with Azad taking one from Dunn, and Evans taking another one the shoulder this time from Roach – however, the duo remained unfazed from the barrage, as they continued to pounce on any loose deliveries.

The breakthrough was made by the hosts as Jordan Clark claimed his fourth wicket of the fixture.

After the onslaught of short balls faced by both batsmen this morning, Surrey finally had their reward as Evans (22) popped yet another Clark short delivery up to Jamie Smith at short leg who accepted the easy grab.

Following a good start made this morning, Leicestershire suddenly found themselves two wickets down as Clark claimed two in two.

Harry Dearden (0), the man who replaced Evans, departed with a golden duck after being pinned infront by the bowler.

Colin Ackermann came in to receive Clark’s hat-trick ball and weathered the early storm as he played Clark off his toes through mid-wicket for two. Leicestershire were 84 for two.

Moments later saw Azad flick Dunn away into the leg side to bring up his second half-century of the fixture, to restore a sense of control to the Leicestershire innings.

The half-century came up in 103 balls and included eight fours.

The third wicket partnership remained stable for the remainder of the first session as lunch came with the Running Foxes on 97 for two.

In the second over of the afternoon session, the ton was brought up for County as Azad flicked Roach away for a quick single.

The Running Foxes staunch defence of the third wicket came to an end an hour into the afternoon session, following a slight bit of fortune in the host’s favour.

Ackermann (29) opted for a sweep off a leg side Amar Virdi delivery, got ahead of the ball and saw it loop up off the back of his bat and caught by Ben Foakes who was on hand, anticipating a deflection moving to his left.

The 61-run partnership came to an end with Leicestershire sitting on 143 for three.

Lewis Hill came in and got off to a blistering start, hitting Clark for back-to-back boundaries to bring up the Leicestershire 150 in an over that yielded 12 runs for the new batsman.

The duo racked up a partnership of 64 runs before the tea break came with Leicestershire having posted 197 runs with seven wickets in hand.

As soon as the final session of the fixture was underway, the 200 was brought up for County from Azad’s thirteenth four of the innings with a slightly less convincing outside edge down to third man.

The Running Foxes opening batsman then recorded not only his first century of the 2021 campaign, but also his first Championship century against a team other than Gloucestershire CCC, as he clipped Virdi through the leg side for his fourteenth boundary of the day. The century was brought up in 218 balls and included fourteen fours.

The allotted 80 overs of the innings were up meaning that the hosts could take the new ball at their discretion, and in an attempt to break the fourth wicket partnership that was nearing it’s one hundredth run, Roach took the new nut at the earliest possible chance.

The rewards of the new ball, though, immediately went the way of the Running Foxes as Hill pulled the Windies bowler through the leg side and over the rope for four more.

Another four off the bowling of Dunn for Hill, as he clipped him away off leg stump down to third man saw the Leicestershire Academy graduate bring up his second half-century of the fixture, and his third of the season from 77 balls, including nine fours.

To the other side of the wicket and next in Azad’s sights was his first-class best, which, at the beginning of the day sat at 139. At the end of the day, it finished on 144no, as he eclipsed his previous best after driving Mark Stoneman off his back foot for a single.

It only took two further overs in the day before Surrey skipper Rory Burns conceded the victory and settled for a draw as the game entered its dying embers.

With Burns’ concession, a resilient yet composed day four from the Running Foxes ended in a worthwhile draw thanks to a superlative innings from Hassan Azad who finished just six runs shy of the 150-run mark on 144*, helped along the way by Sam Evans, Colin Ackermann and finally Lewis Hill who posted his third successive half-century, finishing on 69*.

Leicestershire travelled back to the Midlands having matched the international stars of Surrey CCC and ended the day on 295 for three.

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Roach 16-4-59-0, Dunn 14-1-59-0, Virdi 33-9-73-1, Overton 11-3-28-0, Clark 11-3-37-2, Burns 4-1-12-0, Stoneman 3-0-13-0

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wright, Dieter Klein, Gavin Griffiths.

SURREY CCC | Rory Burns (C), Hashim Amla, Jordan Clark, Matt Dunn, Ben Foakes (wk), Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Kemar Roach, Jamie Smith, Mark Stoneman, Amar Virdi.

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.