Bowlers prosper in third rain-affected day
Fri 21 May 2021
DAY THREE | Hampshire CCC 233 v Leicestershire CCC 28 for five
SCORECARD | Available HERE
REPORT | Ed Barnes claimed career best first-class bowling figures as he and Chris Wright brought Hampshire’s first innings to a close with just 18 day three deliveries.
Lewis Hill posted his 500th run of the 2021 LV= County Championship campaign in an innings which was dominated by the Hampshire bowling attack.
Despite the third day starting in gloomy fashion, with grey skies covering the Ageas Bowl, cricket got underway on time for the first time during Leicestershire’s sixth round LV= County Championship fixture against Hampshire CCC.
Keith Barker (15) and Kyle Abbott (5) got the third day underway from the crease for the hosts, as Barker got off to an explosive start after driving Ed Barnes for back-to-back fours from the first over of the day.
Barnes teammate, Chris Wright, took the ball from the other end and struck with it straight away, as Barker lofted Wright’s first ball of the day straight to Rishi Patel at cover who took the challenging grab.
Barker, spent a dramatic six balls in the middle on day three before making way for 24 as Brad Wheal replaced him.
Wright, who began his first over of the day with a wicket, ended his first over of the day wicket after pinning Abbott infront for five with a delivery that seamed back into the batsman.
Hampshire were now 233 for nine as Mohammad Abbas joined Wheal (1) to form Hampshire’s final partnership of their first innings.
The tenth wicket partnership lasted only six deliveries before Barnes brought the innings to an end.
The Running Foxes man claimed his fourth wicket of the day as Wheal (1) outside edged his delivery through to Hassan Azad at first slip who took the simple catch.
Hampshire were all out for 233 as the Running Foxes prepared to get their first innings reply underway.
Hampshire got off to a quick start with the ball, with Kyle Abbott pinning Azad (0) infront at the end of the second over.
Abbott’s opening partner, and former-Fox Mohammad Abbas responded to his teammate’s wicket with one of his own shortly after.
The Pakistan international pinned Evans (5) infront six balls later as County quickly found themselves at five for two with Marcus Harris and skipper Colin Ackermann now at bat.
The wickets kept falling in quick succession, as Harris (2), Ackermann (2) and Hill (5) were all claimed by the opening Hampshire bowlers.
During his brief stint in the middle, though, Lewis Hill had time to bring up his 500th run of the 2021 LV= County Championship campaign after working Abbas for two through mid-wicket.
Harry Swindells emerged with County on 17 for five.
The sixth wicket stand only lasted 14 deliveries before the rain once again interrupted play with Leicestershire on 28 for five, following back-to-back boundaries for Patel off the bowling of Abbott.
Play was halted at 12:16 and persisted through until the lunch break which came at it’s scheduled time of 13:10.
The lunch interval came and went but the rain remained as did the covers, with the players still inside following the conclusion of lunch.
The rain never subsided for the remainder of the day in Southampton with the players not re-emerging before tea.
An inspection wasn’t needed following the second interval of the day as the rain got heavier throughout the afternoon, leaving umpires Saggers and Llong with no other choice than to call time on day three at 16:09.
Only 9.5 overs of the Running Foxes’ first innings were bowled before the players were pulled off the field, with County ending the day on 28 for five.
FIGURES (1st inns) | Wright 24-4-71-4, Evans 16-2-50-2, Griffiths 9-2-34-0, Barnes 19-4-61-4, Ackermann 3-0-10-0
Abbas 5-2-5-2, Abbott 4.5-0-22-3
TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Marcus Harris, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Rishi Patel, Harry Swindells (wk), Chris Wright, Ed Barnes, Gavin Griffiths, Alex Evans
HAMPSHIRE CCC | Mohammad Abbas, Kyle Abbott, Tom Alsop, Keith Barker, Liam Dawson, Ian Holland, Lewis McManus (wk), Sam Northeast, James Vince (C), Joe Weatherley, Brad Wheal.
IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.
