Cosgrove: "A win is coming"

Leicestershire skipper Mark Cosgrove feels that a win is not far away after another encouraging performance in the LV=County Championship game at Kent this week.

County travel down the M1 to face Surrey on Sunday morning (11am) on the back of a positive performance at Canterbury, where the weather and Kent’s batsmen frustrated the team on the last day.

The team has been extremely competitive in the three LV=CC matches to date under Head Coach Andrew McDonald and captain Cosgrove, who reserved special praise for his bowlers on a good pitch at Canterbury.

“The way we bowled throughout the match was great,” he said. “Clint McKay was fantastic in the first innings and Charlie Shreck bowled ten good overs on the spin after tea on the last day, which could and maybe should have been a matchwinning effort.

“All of the bowlers bowled tight lines and created pressure on the Kent batsmen. Everyone played the game pretty well and we’re really pleased with where we are. The way we played in this game, and the first two, the win is not far away. 

“Surrey are a good side and are one of the favourites for promotion but they are in Division Two like everyone else. So if we can go there and put them under pressure, and play like we did in this game, we’ll be fine.

“We need to keep focusing on our own performances and putting teams under pressure and not worry too much about the opposition.”

Ned Eckersley (284), Cosgrove (247) and Angus Robson (238) are Leicestershire’s leading scorers in the competition while Shreck (16), McKay (13), and Ben Raine (10) are all in double figures in terms of wickets.

McKay (6-54) collected County’s best figures since Robbie Joseph took 6-47 against Glamorgan in the first game of the 2012 season, Shreck has taken two four-wicket hauls - both of which were best returns for the club - and Raine took a career-best 4-55 against Northants.

For Surrey, batsman Steve Davies is enjoying a terrific start to the season and his 302 runs have come at an average of 151.00. Sri Lanka batsman Kumar Sangakkara is just 16 runs shy of the 300-run mark.

The South London based county have found wickets harder to come by and Zafir Ansari is the leading wicket-taker after two games with five victims.

Cosgrove has been pleased with the contributions throughout the team and happy to post his first century this week.He said: “If you look through the team, everyone is determined to make runs. The way Lewis (Hill) came in and batted was fantastic and so was his keeping. He definitely has a bright future at our county.

“You always like to get a few more runs but it was good to get my first hundred and hopefully it’s the first of many this year. We’re in a good position; we could actually be in a better position but we’re getting there.

“Rob (Taylor) made some important runs and bowled well and there is a lot of competition for places. Sheikhy (Atif Sheikh) is also getting closer, and it’s a good place to be in when there is good competition for spots.”

The competition in the squad will stand Leicestershire in good stead given games are coming thick and fast. The NatWest T20 Blast tournament starts at Lancashire Lightning next Friday evening (6.30pm start) following three LV=CC games in as many weeks.

Wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien returns after scoring 10 in Ireland's abandoned game against England in Dublin today and Ollie Freckingham is also included in a 12-man squad for the trip to the Kia Oval.

SQUAD | Robson, Boyce, Eckersley, Cosgrove (c), Pinner, O'Brien (w/k), Raine, McKay, Taylor, Naik, Shreck, Freckingham.