Fortunes fluctuate at the FCG
Tue 20 Sep 2016
Leicestershire versus Glamorgan, Specsavers County Championship, Day 1:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Ned Eckersley spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps, the interview is available HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the first day are available HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire fought back impressively on an eventful opening day of the Specsavers County Championship game against Glamorgan.
County were 64-9 at one point in the morning session after Timm van der Gugten (5-52) wreaked havoc but closed just 25 runs behind their opponents on a day where 20 wickets fell.
Clint McKay and Charlie Shreck saw Leicestershire up to 96 and the Victorian then claimed 3-12 as Glamorgan were dismissed for 199 in their first innings.
The Welsh County’s lead of 103, which owed a good deal to teenager Kiran Carlson’s cultured unbeaten 74, had almost been eradicated by stumps. Openers Paul Horton and Angus Robson did not offer a chance as Leicestershire progressed to 78-0 off just 21 overs.
The Foxes showed two changes to the side that drew at Derbyshire as Ben Raine and Dieter Klein came in for Richard Jones and Rob Sayer while Glamorgan made one alteration, seamer Lukas Carey replacing all-rounder David Lloyd.
An action-packed day began as it ended with Horton and Robson in the middle following Jacques Rudolph's decision not to have a coin toss.
In the fourth over, Robson was dismissed for 4 off the bowling of Michael Hogan. Robson edged towards the cordon and Nick Selman took a sharp chance to his left in front of Aneurin Donald at second slip.
Horton then began to attack and hit two real splendid shots to get Leicestershire back on track. With Neil Dexter going along nicely, County moved to 37-1 off 12 overs.
van der Gugten then made a devastating impact as the hosts lost eight wickets for the addition of just 27 runs.
After Dexter played on to his own stumps for 10 off Meschede in the 13th over, the Netherlands international dismissed Horton lbw for 25 before taking three wickets in the space of five balls in the 18th over.
Ned Eckersley (6) and Mark Pettini (0) went in identical fashion to consecutive deliveries, edging attempted back foot drives to ‘keeper Mark Wallace, before van der Gugten went on to take a splendid low one-handed return catch to dislodge Mark Cosgrove (2).
The seamer, who moved to 50 competition wickets upon Pettini’s departure, completed a five-for in his next over when Harry Dearden (5) played on to his stumps. Two further wickets were claimed by Carey in the 23rd over as Raine (1) chipped to Rudolph at mid-off before Klein (0) was pinned in front.
McKay (17 not out) and Shreck (20) then put together the best partnership of the innings - 32 - with both batsmen showing intent from the get-go.
Lunch was delayed with Leicestershire nine down before Shreck fell to the returning Hogan after launching a shot to the outstretched arms of Carlson at third man.
McKay struck early, nipping one through the gate after Rudolph (10) attempted to drive, before Selman and Bragg shared 47 for the second wicket to give the visitors an ideal platform.
The batsmen worked hard for their runs, with fours generally hard to come by, before both fell with the score at 63.
Shreck broke the stand as Bragg (23) edged one that moved off the seam through to Eckersley and Selman then nicked Raine to Horton at first slip after previously showing patience in scoring 24 off 48 deliveries in an innings that did not contain a boundary.
That was in contrast to the partnership between Donald and Carlson, who racked up 61 in just 52 balls, including the former striking four boundaries as 18 were gathered from one particular Raine over.
Skipper Cosgrove then brought Dexter to the attack, and the man with the golden arm again did the damage.
Dexter bowled Donald (32) with one that nipped back before taking the wickets of Meschede (9) and Wallace (2), who was out to the last ball before tea, both caught by wicket-keeper Eckersley.
Glamorgan went in at 152-6, a lead of 56, with Carlson unbeaten on 44 - but he lost another partner immediately after tea, Owen Morgan (0) receiving a Klein jaffa that clipped the top of off stump.
The left armer struck on a further occasion in the 35th over by hitting van der Gugten (0) in front of the stumps before Carlson registered a calm 56-ball half-century. The landmark contained eight fours, including a number of fine drives.
After reaching his half-century, Carlson received some short bowling as County tried to keep him off strike but he timed a number of pulls through the leg-side in sharing 36 with number ten Hogan.
The Australian added a useful 14 before clouting McKay straight to Dexter at deep mid-wicket and the seamer finished off the innings when Carey (0) saw his leg stump disturbed.
Leicestershire started their second innings strongly with Horton and Robson looking steady against seam at the start and the spin of Morgan and Carlson towards the end of the session.
They rotated the strike well, facing 65 and 61 balls respectively, with Robson striking five boundaries through the off-side as he closed within eight runs of his ninth half-century of the season.
Horton collected three fours in an unbeaten 28 as Leicestershire ended in a position they will have been pleased with considering the situation at lunchtime.
Leicestershire bowling figures: Klein 11-1-58-2, McKay 7.2-2-12-3, Shreck 9-1-44-1, Raine 8-1-44-1, Dexter 7-0-36-3.
