Evans claims first-class best as Pope and Foakes fight back

DAY TWO | Leicestershire CCC 375 v Surrey CCC 253 for three

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Sam Evans earns his first-class best following yesterday’s maiden century for Leicestershire CCC, as partner Lewis Hill posts his second successive fifty.

Ollie Pope and Ben Foakes put on an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 160 to safely see Surrey through a purple patch for the Running Foxes attack, and through to stumps.

Evans picked up where he left off yesterday in terms of claiming new milestones as the first 10 overs of day two saw the Leicestershire Academy graduate surpass his first-class best of 114 posted for Loughborough University.

The previous best of 114 was eclipsed with a quick two off the bowling of Windies international Kemar Roach.

With Evans having beaten another milestone, Hill was steadily approaching his second successive half-century following his 65 posted against Hampshire CCC last week.

The fifty was brought up just before the hour-mark of day two as the Leicestershire batsman turned Roach into the leg side for a single.

Hill joined his teammate on earning his half-century from 96 balls, including five fours.

Following the first hour of play, the fourth wicket partnership added a further 73 runs to the County total with the partnership now sitting at 112 since captain Ackermann’s wicket fell.

The fourth wicket partnership was finally broken, though, as Amar Virdi managed to get one to turn back into Evans (138) and bowl the opening batsman.

The Academy graduate’s record-setting innings came to an end on 138 from 280 balls.

As one Academy graduate left the field, another Academy graduate entered the field to join a third Academy graduate at the crease as Harry Swindells joined Hill (61*) in the middle.

The fifth wicket partnership only lasted 5.2 overs as Clark claimed his third wicket of the innings after Hill (70) chopped the delivery onto his own stumps.

Hill departed for a 124-ball 70 as Ben Mike joined Swindells (5*) in the middle with the Running Foxes on 312 for five.

Kemar Roach then snapped into action as he bowled Swindells (20) with a fierce delivery that he swung back into the batsman to send his middle pole cartwheeling out of the ground.

The Running Foxes then lost another quick wicket which brought lunch up. Parkinson was the man to depart for 2 as he directed a short Roach delivery through to Jamie Overton at first slip who comfortably took the catch.

The first session came to an end with County sitting on 353 for seven.

The afternoon session got underway, and the hosts set off in the same vain that they ended the morning session.

Amar Virdi opened the session and claimed two wickets with the first and final balls of the over, with Leicestershire remaining on 353.

Mike was the first to depart after edging the delivery through to Surrey skipper Rory Burns at first slip – Mike departed for 20 as Dieter Klein emerged.

Klein, though, failed to see the over out as Virdi claimed his third of the day.

The bowler turned one back into the batsman from a leg-side delivery and clipped the top of the German international’s leg stump.

Leicestershire suddenly found themselves on their final wicket partnership of Chris Wright and Gavin Griffiths having only posted 14 runs for their previous four wickets.

The afternoon session only lasted 20 minutes for County’s lower order as the final wicket fell following a mix up in the middle resulting in the run out of Chris Wright for 16.

Gavin Griffiths was the man not out for Leicestershire on 4*, as the Running Foxes’ first innings came to an end on 375.

Dieter Klein opened the bowling for the Running Foxes as Rory Burns got his side off to an ideal start, guiding Klein away for four from the first ball of the innings as Surrey began their run chase.

Surrey got off to a comfortable start with Mark Stoneman looking the man in touch out of the two openers, as he accelerated away to a quick twenty.

The Running Foxes, following their first bowling change of the day as Gavin Griffiths replaced Dieter Klein, found a way to dismiss the batsman before he built on his early progress.

Griffiths’ leg side delivery enticed the batsman into playing which he only managed to feather through to Harry Swindells, who was on hand to take his first catch of the day. Stoneman departed for 24 and the Running Foxes had made a crucial breakthrough.

Stoneman departed for Hashim Amla who got off to just as quick a start as his predecessor, before falling to the same bowler as the man before.

Amla raced away to the twenties, similarly to Stoneman, before Griffiths delivered a wicked yorker which the umpire judged solely hit the batsman’s pads as the Leicestershire bowler earned his second wicket of the day. Amla made way for Ollie Pope with 22 to his name.

Tea was then brought up by Callum Parkinson as Burns mis-timed his shot from the delivery of the Running Foxes vice-captain and was wrapped on the pads for 36.

Leicestershire claimed three huge wickets in the second session of the day and enter the tea break the happier side on day two. Surrey were 93 for three.

The final session got underway as Ben Foakes made his to the wicket to join teammate and fellow England international, Ollie Pope at the crease.

The duo were relatively unfazed as the Running Foxes entered a contain mode as the focussed on controlling the rate at which the batsmen could score.

The partnership at the crease was nearing it’s 100th run when County spurned a chance to take their fourth wicket of the game.

Foakes, on 33, slightly edged a Mike delivery through to Swindells who failed to take what looked like a regulation catch – a golden chance for Leicestershire to capitalise on a lapse of concentration from the batsman.

Two overs later saw Pope bring up his fifty as he drove Mike back down the wicket and over the rope for his eighth four of the game – the half-century came from 71 balls.

The partnership kept going and as they day entered its final overs, Foakes joined his teammate to record a half-century himself, coming from 134 balls and including six fours.

The fourth wicket stand then made it through to stumps on day two with Pope approaching his century on 92*, Foakes on 68* and the hosts on 253 for three.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Roach 29-4-100-2, Dunn 22-1-86-0, Virdi 26.3-8-75-3, Overton 20-6-55-1, Clark 20-0-52-3

Klein 13-2-52-0, Wright 11-3-45-0, Griffiths 13-1-44-2, Mike 10-0-47-0, Parkinson 13-1-47-1, Ackermann 5-0-15-0

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wright, Dieter Klein, Gavin Griffiths.

SURREY CCC | Rory Burns (C), Hashim Amla, Jordan Clark, Matt Dunn, Ben Foakes (wk), Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Kemar Roach, Jamie Smith, Mark Stoneman, Amar Virdi.

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.