Eckersley makes more history
Sun 14 Aug 2016
Northamptonshire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Ned Eckersley spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the second day are available HERE
REPORT | Ned Eckersley again made history for Leicestershire as the team put in another strong performance on the second day of the Specsavers County Championship match against Northants.
A week on from becoming only the second Leicestershire batsman to score two centuries in the same first-class match on more than one occasion, Eckersley achieved another rare feat at Wantage Road.
The recently turned 27-year-old made 107 to make it three successive first-class hundreds for Leicestershire, following in the footsteps of CS ‘Stewie’ Dempster (1937 & 1938) and Ben Smith (2001).
He again, remarkably, posted the ton from the number seven position, showing his skill in batting with the middle to lower order as County racked up 519 all out at Wantage Road.
The Foxes picked up a brace of wickets before tea and replicated that in the closing stages as Northants closed at 142-4, opener Rob Newton holding firm on a fine unbeaten 69 from 114 balls that included eleven fours. Off-spinner Rob Sayer picked up two wickets, causing problems with turn and bounce.
County resumed at 330-5 with Pettini on 109 and Eckersley 15 and the first session took the same shape as Saturday.
Ben Sanderson claimed three wickets in the space of 14 deliveries yesterday and achieved the feat in 16 balls this morning. The seamer deserves immense credit for following up 7-22 at Swansea with a haul of 6-58 in the first innings.
Eckersley cracked the first four of the day through backward point and Mark Pettini (117) then guided a delivery over the slip cordon, perfectly safely, to record his 18th boundary.
A powerful cut brought Pettini four more but Sanderson struck with his next delivery as part of a spell in which the seamer doubled his wicket tally.
Pettini received a brutish ball that reared up and looped off the shoulder of the bat straight into the hands of Saif Zaib at backward point.
County recorded a fourth batting point before Clint McKay (5) edged a back foot drove through to ‘keeper David Murphy. A second wicket fell in the 106th over as Sayer (0) dragged on to middle stump in attempting to leave.
The score progressed to 366-8 before the 110-over mark so Leicestershire claimed four points and Northants two.
Eckersley and Ben Raine went on to share 123 - the ninth wicket record for Leicestershire in this fixture - with a mixture of watchful defence, good running and fine strokeplay. Early boundaries arrived for the duo through cover, with Raine twice punching into a gap.
Extras passed 50 at the end of the 115th over and Eckersley then recorded his half-century off 92 balls (5x4), the two runs gathered also recording the 50 partnership.
Three fours were gathered as the slow left arm of Zaib was introduced for the 122nd over, Raine driving through the covers and clubbing over mid-wicket before Eckersley sent a well-timed stroke rocketing through extra.
Lunch was taken with the score at 437-8, Eckersley on 64 and Raine 36, and they broke the partnership record in the first over of the afternoon session as the left-hander flicked a short ball over leg gully for four.
A couple of sets of overthrows, including one that crossed the boundary rope, helped Raine towards his first half-century of the campaign. Like Eckersley, the milestone came off 92 balls and included five fours.
Eckersley showed his game is in fabulous order just prior to Raine’s landmark with a wonderfully controlled pull off Richard Gleeson that cannoned into the boards.
That stroke took him into the 70s and Raine was also finding the fence with increasing regularity.
Three Keogh deliveries were sent for four in the third man region by the all-rounder but he fell to the off-spinner, nicking a ball that appeared to come off wicket-keeper David Murphy before looping to Adam Rossington at second slip.
Last man Charlie Shreck (3*) came to the crease and was part of a last wicket stand worth 40 with Eckersley, who skilfully manipulated the strike and picked up boundaries despite the field being spread far and wide.
The batsman launched Keogh for the first six of the innings over mid-wicket before skilfully glancing Azharullah and expertly splitting two off-side boundary riders with a cover drive off the spinner.
Eckersley moved to 96 before cleverly working Azharullah off his hips to reach the landmark off 156 balls (11x4, 1x6). Another maximum arrived before Eckersley (107) unselfishly holed out to Alex Wakely at long-on off the bowling of Keogh.
Leicestershire’s bowlers capitalised on the good work as Northants slipped to 33-2 off 13 overs at tea. McKay struck an early blow with Murphy (5) driving straight to Eckersley at extra cover.
Wakely (11) pulled two handsome boundaries but a change of tack just before tea worked a treat. Sayer’s off-spin accounted for the captain, who edged a defensive push to a gleeful O’Brien.
Opener Newton was still there and combined to positive effect with Keogh, with both batsmen looking particularly strong through the off-side as the stand developed. That changed as the session wore on, with both batsmen happy to work a slightly older ball to leg, particularly off Sayer.
The skipper shifted things around, including switching Sayer to the Lynn Wilson End, but Keogh pulled the spinner away to record the 50 partnership.
Newton replicated that stroke in posting a half-century with an eighth four from the 76th ball faced and Keogh also went on to make an attractive 50 (93b, 7x4).
Leicestershire desperately needed a breakthrough and the golden arm of Neil Dexter did the trick, ending the 91-run stand with six overs remaining as Keogh (50) dragged on to his wicket.
Nightwatchman Azharullah was given 5.5 overs to negotiate but departed to the first ball of the final over, pushing Sayer to Eckersley at short leg with his side still trailing by 377 runs.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: McKay 9-1-22-1, Raine 8-2-25-0, Shreck 9-2-29-0, Sayer 11.1-1-49-2, Dexter 7-1-16-1.
