County gain the upper hand at Derbyshire
Tue 26 Jun 2018
SCORE | Day 2 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Derbyshire CCC 245 and 43 for 3 v Leicestershire CCC 297
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | An interview with BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae will be available soon
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REPORT | Leicestershire CCC wrestled control of the day-night Specsavers County Championship contest after a gutsy batting performance was backed up by a devastating new ball burst at Derbyshire CCC.
County gained a more than useful 52-run first innings lead with captain Paul Horton anchoring the innings with a measured 88.
There were also a number of useful scores in the 20s and 30s as the Foxes registered two batting points in posting 297 at the 3aaa County Ground.
Muhammad Abbas and Ben Raine then bowled beautiful opening spells to reduce Derbyshire CCC to 43 for 3, meaning the hosts will resume day three still in arrears with seven second innings wickets remaining.
Before play got underway, Sam Evans came into the side as Leicestershire CCC’s first concussion replacement for Harry Dearden. County resumed at 82 without loss with Horton and Colin Ackermann at the wicket on another sweltering day.
Horton started on 48* and, in the third over of the morning, guided Duanne Olivier to third man to bring up his fifth half-century of the season. The captain reached the milestone in 87 balls (7x4).
No.3 Ackermann had added to 18 to his overnight score, including a beautiful drive through mid-on, when Leicestershire lost their first wicket of the day. Tony Palladino got a delivery to hold its shape to trap the in-form batsman lbw for 32.
The wicket bought Evans to the crease and the young batsman was watchful early on before taking Hardus Viljoen for a brace of boundaries through the cover point area.
Horton was quietly accumulating, taking singles and hitting the bad balls to the boundary. The pair had added 49 when the lunch interval arrived with the score at 156 for 1, Horton going into the break unbeaten on 77 and Evans had 23.
The pair then bought up their 50 partnership and Horton moved towards his century as he cut Olivier to the boundary to go to 85 not out - but Derbyshire CCC then took three wickets in a short space of time.
Opener Horton lost Evans after the duo had added 65 for the second wicket. Evans looked to cut Olivier but the ball got big on the batsman and he edged through to Smit behind the stumps to go for a hardworking 29.
Cosgrove joined Horton but Olivier went on to strike twice in identical fashion, pinning Horton and Neil Dexter (0) leg before in successive deliveries.
In an eventful period, Olivier then rapped Lewis Hill on the gloves and the 'keeper became the second batsman of the innings to retire hurt.
All-rounder Raine (10) joined Cosgrove and opened his account with a sublime extra cover drive. However, Raine was then caught at cover off Palladino. Hill returned to the wicket and was quickly off the mark in steering to the vacant third man boundary.
Runs weren’t flowing against good bowling but the pair continued to be resolute. Derbyshire CCC took the new ball in the 83rd over and had an eight-over burst before tea.
The decision paid off as Ravi Rampaul struck, Hill (20) being held by Matt Critchley, who ran in from point to take took a good diving catch as the ball came off bat and pad.
Parkinson offered Cosgrove an ally, and the left-hander produced an uppercut over point for four to take the Foxes into the lead. However, Cosgrove (35) then tried to hit Olivier through the covers but edged to Wayne Madsen at first slip, leaving the team at 256 for 7.
Gavin Griffiths (10) and Richard Jones (0) were then bowled by Palladino (4 for 64) before Parkinson (34) added 24 useful runs with Abbas. Parkinson, who struck four boundaries in his vital contribution, swung hard at Viljoen but picked out Madsen, fielding in a fly slip position.
There were still 19 overs remaining and Leicestershire CCC capitalised on their first innings lead. Abbas (9-4-12-2) struck at the start of the fourth over, pinning Harvey Hosein (4) in front with the score at 10.
Raine passed the outside edge of the bat on a number of occasions and then struck a key blow, beating the forward defence of Madsen (2) to hit the stumps.
The third wicket fell as Abbas extracted considerable bounce to have Slater extremely well caught by Jones diving at backward point, leaving Derbyshire CCC at 17 for 3 .
Alex Hughes (15*) and Billy Godleman (6*) regrouped and got their side through until stumps, meaning Derbyshire CCC will resume nine runs behind tomorrow afternoon.
TEAM | Horton (capt), Dearden, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dexter, Hill (wk), Raine, Parkinson, Jones, Griffiths, Abbas.
Concussion replacement: Evans for Dearden.
FIGURES | 1st innings: Raine 13-3-52-2, Abbas 14-4-47-2, Jones 11-0-39-1, Griffiths 8-1-29-1, Parkinson 11-1-50-3, Dexter 9-2-20-1.
2nd innings: Raine 8-2-17-1, Abbas 9-4-12-2, Griffiths 2-1-5-0.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Paul Horton batting.
