Currie Impresses With Career-Best On Opening Day

By Jon Culley | ECB Reporters' Network

Glamorgan benefitted from some inconsistent Leicestershire bowling as they finished on 352 for eight on day one of their Vitality County Championship match at Leicester after being put in on a pitch as green as the unprepared strips next to it.

With leading run-scorer Colin Ingram rested, Eddie Byrom (86) and Kiran Carlson (80) were the chief beneficiaries as Leicestershire conceded cheap runs in the first half of the day.

The Welsh county slipped from 190 for two to 277 for seven as the home attack fought back before tea, but Sam Northeast, whose name is indelibly linked with this ground after his unbeaten 410 on a record-breaking day here two years ago, anchored some solid resistance in the final session and will resume on 61 not out.

Scott Currie, who is at Uptonsteel County Ground on a season-long loan from Hampshire, finished with four for 53, which as it stands are career-best figures  for the 23-year-old right-arm seamer.

Ian Holland, also on loan from Hampshire but making his Leicestershire debut, shared the new ball with Matt Salisbury and a couple of early edges falling just short of the slips suggested it had been a good toss to win by captain Lewis Hill yet Glamorgan were 96 for one at lunch after a dismal morning for Leicestershire’s bowlers.

Leicestershire tightened things up a little in the second hour, yet the one wicket they picked up was something of a giveaway, Root slapping a widish delivery from Ben Mike straight to backward point to fall for 40.

Tom Scriven left the field before the interval and his failure to reappear for the afternoon session was a cause for concern, but Currie’s post lunch spell brought some cheer as Marnus Labuschagne misjudged a ball that took out his off stump. Currie should have had Byrom on 49 but Peter Handscomb spilled a straightforward chance at second slip.

It looked an expensive drop as Byrom and the aggressive Carlson added 83 in just 12 overs and stemming the flow of runs was looking beyond Leicestershire.

Yet they were fortunate again when another Glamorgan error handed them a third wicket as Byrom, with a hundred seemingly in his sights after hitting 13 fours and two sixes, was bowled by Salisbury off a careless inside edge.

Carlson went past fifty for the fourth time this season, needing only 45 balls, but he followed Byrom in missing out on three figures. Perhaps frustrated after half a dozen overs without a boundary he launched himself into an attempt to clear the midwicket rope against Louis Kimber’s off-spin only to be foiled by a diving Harry Swindells, on as substitute fielder for Scriven, who took a fine catch.

It sparked a good finish to the session for Leicestershire, Currie knocking out Chris Cooke’s midfield stump before Mike picked up the wicket of Zain-ul-Hassan in freakish fashion, appealing for leg before after hitting the batter on the toe before turning to discover the ball had looped up and spun back into the stumps.

Currie dismissed Mason Crane leg before the ball before tea, completing a much better session for Leicestershire, who had taken six wickets for 181.

Northeast ensured the collapse did not continue, sharing a 62-run partnership with Timm Van der Gugten (32) before the latter became a fourth scalp for Currie after Leicestershire had taken the second new ball, his unbeaten 61 taking his tally for the season to 647 runs.

It was a day that - in its early stages at least - reminded Leicestershire followers how much they miss Chris Wright and Wiaan Mulder, who between them took almost half of the county’s Championship wickets last year. It will come as good news, then, that Wright is back in training after spending time out of cricket for personal reasons and Mulder is due back from South Africa in time for the start of the Vitality Blast next week.