County in command at Glamorgan

Glamorgan versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 3:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | An interview with Wayne White with BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae is available HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the third day’s play are available HERE

LIVE | Ball-by-ball commentary available through the BBC HERE and a live stream for day four comes courtesy of Glamorgan’s website HERE

REPORT | Clint McKay continued his terrific game as Leicestershire took control of the Specsavers County Championship contest at the SSE SWALEC following a dominat performance on day three.

Leicestershire resumed on 297-6 and claimed a first innings lead of 79 over Glamorgan after some gutsy batting by the middle and lower order advanced the score to 427 all out.

McKay made a hard-hit career-best equalling 65 (89b), Wayne White (58, 100b) also registered a half-century, and Ben Raine (22, 74b) and Jigar Naik (26*, 101b) offered invaluable support.

The Victorian then claimed two early wickets to drive home the advantage while Raine and Charlie Shreck also played key roles as Glamorgan were reduced to 172-8 before stumps. It means the Welsh County will resume 93 runs ahead with two second innings wickets remaining.

The first session on the third morning saw Leicestershire move into profit by adding 83 runs for the loss of just two wickets in a display of intelligent batting.

County quickly registered their third batting point and White then moved to a vital 50 from 90 deliveries with his seventh boundary. White shared 44 for the seventh wicket with Raine but was then trapped lbw by Michael Hogan to leave Leicestershire at 324-7, still 24 behind.

McKay started like an express train – his first six scoring shots all went to the fence – as he and Raine added 29 useful runs in 7.1 overs to keep Leicestershire on track.

As part of an eventful over from Craig Meschede, County moved into the lead through a wide, recorded a fourth batting point courtesy of a straight boundary from Raine and then lost a wicket as the left hander edged the very next delivery to Wallace.

Off-spinner Naik joined McKay and the duo battled hard to add another 27 runs in 13.1 overs before lunch, which was taken with Leicestershire 32 ahead at 380-8.

The pair picked up where they left off after lunch and McKay was soon posting a priceless half-century, compiled in 71 balls (9x4). County then moved 50 ahead as Naik tickled one off his pads for a single before McKay hit a brace of consecutive fours as the stand reached its half-century.

Glamorgan kept chipping away and McKay, who has come close to registering career-bests with both bat and ball in this game, was caught by James Kettleborough in the covers off Graham Wagg. Shreck (0) hung around to offer Naik useful support before falling lbw to a quicker, flatter leg-break from Jacques Rudolph.

After sterling work with the willow by McKay and Raine, there was a brilliant start with the new cherry for the duo as they reduced their hosts to 29-3. Kettleborough (5) edged McKay through to Niall O’Brien, Will Bragg (0) dragged the Victorian into his stumps and Raine then enticed Chris Cooke (8) into snicking to the ‘keeper.

Rudolph and teenager Aneurin Donald took the score to 48-3 at tea, meaning Glamorgan trailed by 31 runs with 32 overs remaining in the day. Both players produced some impressive strokes, with Rudolph particularly prominent through the off-side, as Glamorgan progressed to a healthier looking 89-3.

Leicestershire kept their cool and picked up a flurry of wickets to put their hosts firmly on the back foot.

Shreck claimed the key scalps of set batsmen Rudolph (39) and Donald (57) in identical fashion, nicking to O’Brien. David Lloyd was dismissed inbetween Shreck’s scalps in unfortunate manner as he was run out by Paul Horton following a mix-up with Donald, who previously recorded a fine 71-ball 50 (6x4).

Raine then got in on the act by pinning Meschede and Wallace in front in the space of three deliveries and suddenly Glamorgan were in big trouble at 133-8.

Wagg and Hogan then held up Leicestershire’s charge as they made 19 apiece in an unbroken stand of 39 in 8.2 overs, and although there is plenty of work to be done, Leicestershire were entitled to be delighted with their day’s work.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 13-4-38-2, Raine 14-3-48-3, Shreck 11-0-48-0, Dexter 2-0-8-0, White 8-2-26-0.