County lead by 230
Tue 5 Jul 2016
Worcestershire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 3:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Clint McKay spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the third day are available HERE
REPORT| Joe Leach initially inspired a Worcestershire fightback on day three at New Road but Leicestershire will take a lead of 230 into the final day after fine work from Clint McKay, Paul Horton and Mark Cosgrove.
Worcestershire rallied to score 349 in reply to Leicestershire's 407 as Leach top-scored with 90 but McKay took his wicket as part of a haul of 4-59 from 24.1 overs.
Horton (75 not out) and Cosgrove (58 not out) then shared the highest partnership of the game, an unbroken 129, as Leicestershire closed on a healthy 172-2.
The Pears resumed on 193-7, still requiring 65 to avoid the follow-on, but the first session belonged to the home side.
Ed Barnard joined Leach at the crease and the duo counter-attacked to share 100 of the 129 runs added before lunch, with only one wicket taken by Leicestershire.
Barnard struck three boundaries in the opening half hour and Leach then struck two fours in each of the 76th and 77th overs. Barnard's fourth boundary took the stand to 50 in just 10.3 overs and another four from the former England u19s international recorded the Pears' second batting point.
The new ball was taken but a breakthrough wasn't forthcoming as the batsmen collected another boundary apiece.
Leach then sent three balls to the fence in the space of five deliveries to move to a 66-ball 50 and a single from the next delivery extended the alliance to 100.
The stand ended there as Cosgrove again proved to have the golden touch, striking in his first over for the second day in succession.
Barnard (42), who had scored a career-best 73 in the previous Championship game at Derby, drove straight to Taylor at mid-wicket.
Shantry joined Leach and the pair added a further 29 before the interval as a third batting point was recorded, the latter reaching 72 not out.
Leach moved to 90 (104b, 13x4) after the break before McKay wrapped up the innings, having the all-rounder caught by Charlie Shreck at fine leg before enticing Kyle Abbott to edge to Angus Robson at slip as Leicestershire claimed maximum bowling points. The Victorian has now taken 35 wickets at 20.54 apiece in the Specsavers County Championship this summer.
It was a watchful start to the second innings from Robson and Horton as a disciplined Worcestershire attack ensured the first boundary didn’t arrive until the end of the 11th over.
That was struck through backward point by Horton, who gathered two more boundaries before Robson (15) was held by D'Oliveira at point in Leach's first over to end an opening partnership that yielded 39.
Leach continued to torment County as he dismissed Neil Dexter, the club’s leading scorer in the competition, in his next offering courtesy of a smart leg-side stumping by Ben Cox.
Three consecutive fours arrived in Leach's third over to continue the all-action theme when the all-rounder was in operation. Horton clipped down to fine leg and steered down to third man while there were four byes inbetween those strokes.
The opener was unbeaten on 36 at tea with Leicestershire leading by 125 at that point, and Horton and Cosgrove advanced their stand to 50 in the final session with some attractive strokeplay.
Horton then brought up his fifth score of 50 or more from 103 balls in an innings that contained seven fours at that point.
A further boundary helped the alliance reach 100 and the skipper, who was quick to latch on to anything short or overpitched, raised his bat after striking consecutive fours – the 8th and 9th of his innings - off Shantry in the 50th over.
The duo saw out the closing stages to leave Leicestershire in a position of strength with an interesting final day in prospect.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 24.1-7-59-4, Jones 12-1-67-0, Raine 16-4-61-1, Dexter 15-5-41-1, Shreck 24-6-58-1, Taylor 7-2-25-0, Robson 1-0-7-0, Cosgrove 4-0-14-2.
