Bowlers hold sway on first day

Batsmen started the day brightly at Grace Road before the bowlers then got on top in the LV=CC match between Leicestershire and Kent.

County moved to 87-1 with leading scorers Ned Eckersley (41) and Angus Robson (19) in good form but Matt Coles, who had a hand in eight wickets, ended with 6-55 as the team were bowled out for 159.

Ben Raine and Clint McKay dismissed the openers as Kent closed on 44-2, so they will resume on day two 115 behind with eight second innings wickets remaining.

There were several notable moments before play began as Eckersley was named as captain of Leicestershire for the first time with Mark Cosgrove having family commitments.

Aadil Ali was handed his first-class debut and the young batsman was awarded his Leicestershire cap by Jonathan Agnew, who spoke at an exclusive Members event in the Charles Palmer Suite before play got underway.

A ‘second debut’ was given to Greg Smith after his loan deal from Nottinghamshire started, and Lewis Hill and Ollie Freckingham also returned to the team. The quartet came in for Cosgrove, Niall O’Brien (international duty), Tom Wells and Jigar Naik.

Sam Northeast won the toss and elected to field under threatening skies and Coles gave the visitors an early breakthrough as Matthew Boyce (12) edged to Adam Ball at second slip in the cordon.

Runs had already come at a decent rate and that trend continued as Eckersley settled in alongside Robson. 

The skipper struck eight boundaries as the stand progressed to 58 before Robson, who hit five fours in 29, became Coles’ second victim in his second spell as he nicked an attempted drive to Sam Billings.

Kent made it three wickets in the space of 20 deliveries as Smith (0) nicked Calum Haggett to Coles at second slip before Coles bowled Eckersley (41) off the inside edge.

Ali (13) got off the mark with a three as he and Andrea Agathangelou (11) saw the team through to lunch but both players were held at slip off Darren Stevens (16-7-36-2) and County slipped to 123-6 in the afternoon session.

Coles completed his five-for as Hill (8) edged to Northeast at third slip and McKay (4) was held by Joe Denly at point before the seamer claimed his sixth wicket by bowling Raine, who hit three fours in making 16.

Haggett (13.1-4-20-2) wrapped up the innings when Freckingham (1) scooped to Daniel Bell-Drummond at mid-wicket and rain then arrived just as County were about to take to the field.

Denly made a bright start when play was able to resume at 4.45pm but he was caught by Boyce at short-leg off Raine having scored 16 and his opening partner Bell-Drummond (7) was leg before to McKay with the score still on 28.

Rob Key and Northeast added 16 to the total before bad light and heavy rain forced umpires Neil Mallender and Steve Gale to abandon play early.