Career-best for Raine as County make strong start

Ben Raine returned career-best figures of 5-48 in 18 overs as Leicestershire took the honours on the first day of the LV=CC match against Essex at Chelmsford.

Taking full advantage of overcast conditions and a greenish pitch, the right-arm seamer posed problems to all the batsmen to fully justify skipper Mark Cosgrove’s decision of inserting his rivals as Essex were bowled out for 166.

On a day when 27 overs were lost to rain and bad light, Leicestershire’s openers Matthew Boyce and Angus Robson reached the close on 28 without loss from seven overs to complete a rewarding day.

There were special presentations before the game to Boyce and Andrea Agathangelou, who were rewarded for making centuries in the Second XI against Afghanistan by coming into the side along with Jigar Naik.

Boyce received a cap and tie to mark his 100^th first-class appearance for Leicestershire County Cricket Club and Agathangelou was given his cap by Charlie Shreck on debut.

The former Lancashire batsman was immediately in the action, snapping up a catch at second slip as the ever-reliable Clint McKay found the edge of Nick Browne (2) in the first over of the day.

Raine replaced Shreck after seven overs of the innings and his main weapon was swing. He could have reaped a bigger harvest so often did he beat the bat, sometimes with deliveries that lifted awkwardly.

The 23-year-old embarked upon his destructive course by removing Tom Westley and Jaik Mickleburgh in successive overs after the pair had shared in a second wicket stand of 43. Westley was trapped lbw for 27 on his Championship return after a broken thumb while Mickleburgh was bowled for 16 following resistance of just over an hour.

Raine later had Jesse Ryder caught at long leg by Ned Eckersley, the New Zealander making 38, the top-score of the home side’s innings. Ryan ten Doeschate (0) and James Foster (3), so often a thorn in Leicestershire’s side, were his other victims.

Essex, who gave a first-class debut to 20-year-old slow left-arm bowler Aron Nijjar, were left still seeking their first batting point of the season at Chelmsford in their third match at HQ. Ravi Bopara’s hopes of making an impact at number four had been were ended by McKay when he edged to wicket-keeper Lewis Hill having made four.

Apart from Westley and Ryder, Graham Napier was the only other batsman to top 20. He struck five boundaries in 29 before being caught by Agathangelou at second slip off Shreck (10-2-31-1). That was a vital wicket that ended a partnership of 54 with Ryder, the pair joining forces with their side deep in trouble at 67-6.

McKay, who bowled 14 overs unchanged either side of a rain delay that brought about an early lunch, finished with 2-42 from 17 overs. Naik has been terrific for the Foxes in NatWest T20 Blast both in terms of economy and threat and he continued that form, claiming the final two wickets at a cost of only nine runs in 8.3 overs.

There had been some drama before the start of play when scheduled umpire Steve Gale was struck a painful blow while the teams were warming up on the outfield. He did not appear during the course of the opening day with Chelmsford-based ECB Reserve List umpire Ben Debenham taking his place alongside Nigel Llong.