Foxes battle hard to ensure fourth day

DAY THREE | Hampshire CCC 612/5d v Leicestershire 202 & 279 for eight 

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Harry Swindells’ first-class best came in vain following a collapse in the Running Foxes batting line-up within the first hour of the day, resulting in Hampshire enforcing the follow-on.

Harry Dearden and Lewis Hill posted their first half-centuries of the season in Leicestershire’s second innings to ensure that the game went to a fourth day.

Day three got off to the worst possible start for the Running Foxes, after a direct hit from James Vince in the field dismissed the Leicestershire skipper for 37 from just the second ball of the day.

Ben Mike came in to replace Ackermann, and looked to get off to a positive by turning Abbott into the leg side and away for four from his second ball faced.

That was about as good as Mike’s innings got though, as he soon fell victim to the bowling of Abbott two overs later as McManus caught the slight edge from Mike as he departed for four.

Harry Swindells remained at the crease as his new vice-captain, Callum Parkinson, walked out to accompany him in the middle, and had his sights firmly set on just his second first-class half-century.

That feat was brought up in the very next over as Swindells authoritatively cut former-Fox Mohammad Abbas away through point for his seventh four of the innings.

This brought up the Running Foxes’ first half-century of the 2021 season, coming from 92 balls including seven fours.

Prior to this, Parkinson got his innings up and running in a similar fashion to that of Mike before him, as he also turned Abbott away through the leg side for a four from his first delivery faced.

Parkinson’s innings, though, lasted 15 more deliveries before being caught superbly by Liam Dawson who swiftly got down to his right to take a low catch a first slip. Parkinson departed for six and the Running Foxes were now certainly up against it.

Chris Wright joined his wicketkeeper at the crease, but the eighth wicket partnership failed to last two overs before Swindells made his way back to the makeshift pavilion.

The 22-year old edged a Mason Crane delivery to Dawson at first slip who held on for his second catch of the day – Swindells departed for a first-class best of 59, eclipsing the 52* posted at the Uptonsteel County Ground against Nottinghamshire CCC in 2020.

Gavin Griffiths replaced the Running Foxes’ number 28, as he partnered Wright at the crease.

The ninth wicket partnership could only last two overs, though, before Wright became Crane’s third wicket of the morning, being bowled for nine-ball duck.

Leicestershire were quickly down to their last wicket partnership of Griffiths and Alex Evans in a first session that was only an hour old.

The final wicket partnership saw the Running Foxes over the 200-run mark before Alex Evans’ wicket fell for 12, as Hampshire brought Leicestershire’s first innings to an end.

The Running Foxes fell short of the 463 runs they needed to avoid the follow-on as the visitors put them back in to begin their second innings.

Hassan Azad and Sam Evans walked to the middle as Kyle Abbott prepared to open the bowling from the Pavilion End.

The duo got off to a good start, earning one boundary per over between themselves for the first three overs. However, the attack of Abbott and Abbas began putting pressure on the openers which eventually came to a head with the first wicket.

Sam Evans was the man whose time at the crease was up after mis-judging an Abbott in-swinger which rattled his off stump. Evans went for eight as Harry Deaden joined Azad at the crease.

The second wicket partnership then saw County through to lunch with Leicestershire on 22 for one.

The duo came back out and resumed their sturdy defence of the Hampshire attack and looked, in large part, unfazed, by what Hampshire were challenging them with.

A contentious decision from the umpires then saw the second wicket partnership break as it looked that wicketkeeper Lewis McManus knocked the bails off to stump Hassan Azad with his left hand, whilst having the ball only in his right hand.

Azad, reluctantly headed back to the makeshift pavilion with 18 to his name and was replaced by skipper Colin Ackermann.

Ackermann, who looked to settle into the role he held yesterday, joined Dearden at the crease who was on 29.

Dearden was looking in similar form to that of the first innings, and soon played his way to his first half-century of the campaign.

The fifty was brought up in 80 balls and included eight fours as he spearheaded the Leicestershire attack.

However, his partnership with Ackermann came to an end seven overs later as Ackermann edged an Abbas delivery through to Joe Weatherley at first slip and departed for five.

Lewis Hill joined Dearden at the crease, but their partnership was short lived as Dearden was next to make way for the Running Foxes as he was pinned infront by Crane and departed for a well-worked 62.

Next at bat for County was Harry Swindells as Leicestershire’s home-grown Academy graduates both occupied the crease as tea came with Hill on 12, Swindells on 16 and the Running Foxes on 135 for four.

The duo came back out and began chipping away at the deficit once again with 40 overs left in the day.

The partnership was growing in runs and in confidence as it brought up its fiftieth run coming from 57 balls, though the fifth wicket partnership was broke soon after.

It was Swindells’ wicket that fell as he was pinned lbw by Crane for 34 as the bowler claimed his fifth wicket of the contest.

Ben Mike replaced Swindells but only lasted four overs alongside Hill who was now approaching his first half-century of the season.

Mike’s wicket fell for three as Crane was amongst the wickets once again, finding the edge of Mike who was caught behind by McManus.

Parkinson came in and got underway with a four off the bowling of Crane with a thick outside edge down to third man, and then went on to help his teammate on his way to his first half-century of the season.

The fifty was brought up by Hill with an outside edge down to third man, earning him his sixth four – the half-century was posted in 89 balls including six fours and one six.

Hill was moving along nicely as the Running Foxes kept chipping away at the Hampshire lead, and was soon in into the sixties.

He wouldn’t make it into the seventies though as Crane claimed his sixth wicket of the game after pinning the Leicestershire man lbw for a Running Foxes high of 65.

Chris Wright came in and got off to an explosive start, hitting Dawson for consecutive boundaries in the next over and partnered Parkinson well who moved into the thirties.

The County number 10 began playing it around and finding the gaps really well, though, Wheal steamed in with a well-placed yorker that was judged to have hit leg before wicket and saw Parkinson off for 31.

Leicestershire were down to their ninth wicket as Gavin Griffiths emerged and partnered Wright in the middle who was currently sitting on 19 with Leicestershire on 265 for eight.

The partnership then ensured that the tie will go to a fourth day with a stern defence of the Hampshire spin attack that saw the day out.

Wright finished the day on 25* with Griffiths on 8* and Leicestershire on 279 for eight, trailing by 131 runs.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Abbas 15-7-27-1, Abbott 14-5-27-3, Holland 10-3-35-0, Wheal 10.5-3-39-2, Dawson 12-4-24-0, Crane 15-2-49-3

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Abbott 14-4-43-1, Abbas 12-8-26-1, Wheal 12-0-57-2, Dawson 19-5-30-1, Holland 3-1-8-0, Crane 28.3-6-101-3

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

HAMPSHIRE CCC | Joe Weatherley, Ian Holland, Tom Alsop, Sam Northeast, James Vince (C), Liam Dawson, Lewis McManus (wk), Kyle Abbott, Mason Crane, Brad Wheal, Mohammad Abbas.

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

MATCH SPONSOR | Thanks to Uptonsteel for being our match sponsor.