Davis Shines On Opening Day of Final Warm-Up Fixture
Mon 28 Mar 2022
Will Davis shone on the opening day of the Running Foxes’ final warm-up fixture of 2022, recording figures of 3-30, as Leeds/Bradford UCCE posted 231-7 at the close of play.
Leicestershire’s attack fought back in the evening session, taking three late wickets after they shared the spoils on day one of a closely fought contest at Uptonsteel County Ground.
The morning's first act saw Running Foxes skipper Colin Ackermann win the toss and elect to field. Both sides named a 12-man team, with Davis allocated as the designated non-batter in the Leicestershire ranks.
Chris Wright began proceedings with a maiden from the Bennett End, backed up with a similarly tight over from his opening bowling partner Davis at the Pavilion End.
It was the latter who broke the opening stand, as Davis sent Will Wade’s off-stump cartwheeling in the eighth over with the score on 13.
The next hour followed a similar pattern, with economical spells from Wright, Davis and Ed Barnes yielding just 29 runs after 19 overs.
But it was a change in personnel that delivered the second wicket. Ben Mike struck with the second ball of his second over, with Josh de Caires caught upper-cutting to Sam Evans for eight.
Opening batsman Sam Dorsey and Jack Timby negotiated the remainder of the session, progressing Leeds/Bradford UCCE’s total to 65-2 at the lunch interval.
After an attritional first session, the visiting batsman accelerated the scoring rate immediately after the restart, before Timby was pinned in front by Wright for 23.
One quickly brought two for the Running Foxes, as Barnes chipped in with his first of the match in the very next over. The Leicestershire seamer bowled Dorsey for a well-constructed 44 to leave Leeds/Bradford on 94-4.
It could have been five down soon after, but Mike saw a chance for his second go begging. Harry Swindells not quite able to hold on after Tom Keast skied an attempted pull.
An unbroken 54-run partnership guided the visitors to 148-4 at the fall of tea.
The final session saw Keast and Abhishek Paradkar continue where they left off, scoring fluently amidst the occasional LBW shout.
Both Keast and Paradkar brought up their half-centuries before the Running Foxes’ patience paid off, as the latter was bowled by George Rhodes for 55 to end a 121-run stand.
That dismissal brought visiting skipper Nic Keast to the crease, to see him bat alongside brother Tom for the sixth-wicket stand.
However, that particular family gathering didn’t last too long, with Davis picking up Nic’s wicket in his first over after the new ball was taken. The visiting captain pinned LBW for a single to become Davis’ second victim of the day.
Brother Tom’s wicket fell soon after. Davis again the man to claim the pole, this time pitching one straight through the gate to bowl wicket-keeper-batsman Keast for a hard-earned 67.
Hishaam Khan and Kurtis Watson negated the final two overs without too much trouble to close the day on 231-7.
Play resumes tomorrow morning (Tuesday, 29 March) at 11am.
Bowling figures: Chris Wright 17-7-34-1. Will Davis 17-7-30-3. Ed Barnes 15-3-46-1. Ben Mike 13-1-47-1. Callum Parkinson 17-6-41-0. Colin Ackermann 7-2-14-0. George Rhodes 2-1-1-1.
