Cosgrove shows grit and class
Tue 13 Sep 2016
Derbyshire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Captain Mark Cosgrove spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the second day are available HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire’s leading run-scorer Mark Cosgrove again came to the fore on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match at Derbyshire.
The hosts resumed at 282-8 and progressed to 307, Charlie Shreck finishing with excellent figures of 4-78 from 22.2 probing overs.
Cosgrove showed grit and determination as well as class in his unbeaten 81, batting through the pain barrier after sustaining a hand injury in the field yesterday.
The skipper was eventually forced to retire hurt on 77 before returning to the crease during a hostile spell from Will Davis, whose three late wickets meant that Leicestershire ended at 228-8, a deficit of 79.
Cosgrove took his 2016 competition tally to 1,118 and preserved his fine record at the 3aaa County Ground. The left-hander made his highest first-class score of 233 here for Glamorgan in 2006, and scored 156 in the equivalent fixture last season.
Earlier in the day, Harvey Hosein needed another 21 for a maiden first-class hundred but added only four to end unbeaten on a career-best 83.
The first breakthrough of the day was made by Clint McKay, who enticed Callum Parkinson (8) to edge to Ned Eckersley to claim his 48th wicket in the Specsavers County Championship this season.
Number ten Parkinson became a fifth victim of the innings for the ‘keeper in the process as County claimed maximum bowling points in ending the frustrating 38-run partnership.
Shreck claimed his fourth wicket by having Davis caught at short leg by Harry Dearden but the number eleven had usefully added 15 runs to ensure that Derbyshire recorded a third batting point.
Leicestershire lost their top three before lunch was taken and were still trailing by 263 runs at that point in proceedings.
Tony Palladino struck in his third over when he swung one back to trap Angus Robson lbw without scoring and fellow opener Paul Horton, who fought hard for 19, departed after trying to cut a delivery from Davis.
The Foxes suffered another blow in the last over of the opening session when Neil Dexter (14) attempted to drive the first delivery from slow left arm spinner Parkinson and was caught by Wayne Madsen at slip.
Cosgrove was the unbeaten batsman at the break and played really well after the interval with a series of cuts, drives and nicely timed clips off the pads.
A six over long-on was also struck as part of a 58-ball 50 - Cosgrove also recorded a quartet of fours in the landmark - as he formed the highest alliance of the game with Eckersley, 93.
The ‘keeper recorded two hundreds in the first meeting of the sides but, like Cosgrove, was made to work hard for his runs today. He scored 27 before becoming the second batsman to fall leg before to a Palladino in-ducker.
Leicestershire were now at 137-4 and suffered another blow five runs later as Cosgrove had to leave the crease after being struck on the hand.
Cosgrove’s unfortunate departure meant that Leicestershire now had two batsmen paired together on zero in the 47th over.
Pettini and first-class debutant Dearden fought hard to see Leicestershire through to tea at 154-4 after 55 overs.
The young left-hander recorded his first boundary before the interval while the experienced Pettini struck three fours in the early exchanges of the evening session.
Their partnership ended on 39 as Dearden fell for a hard-working 13 off 43 balls, caught by ‘keeper Hosein off Parkinson.
A counter-attack arrived after a couple of overs of regrouping as Pettini and McKay added 26 in the space of three overs, including a six from the Victorian that caused some damage to the Pavilion roof.
Leicestershire now had a first batting point in the bag but went on to slip from 220-5 to 221-8 in the space of 17 deliveries as Davis struck with three short deliveries from around the wicket
Both set batsmen fell in identical fashion in the 71st over, McKay (21) and Pettini (44) hooking Davis only to see Alex Hughes take smart catches at deep square leg.
County then lost Rob Sayer (0) to a similar stroke with Neil Broom taking a catch at backward square leg as the impressive Davis struck for the fourth time.
Just as had happened on day one, play was suspended due to bad light and a further ten overs were lost from the game as a result.
Cosgrove was still there alongside Richard Jones (2*) and had taken his first-class average on this ground to 83.28 by stumps.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 18-4-50-2, Jones 15-2-45-1, Sayer 13-1-49-1, Dexter 19-3-60-2, Shreck 22.2-3-78-4, Cosgrove 4-1-14-0.
