Foxes bowlers get valuable time in the middle
Thu 5 Apr 2018
REPORT | Leicestershire CCC versus Nottinghamshire CCC, pre-season friendly, day 1 of 2
Gavin Griffiths and Callum Parkinson took two wickets apiece as Leicestershire CCC and Nottinghamshire CCC gained valuable time in the middle ahead of the 2018 season.
Conditions were dry and sunny for the main part, allowing the Leicestershire CCC bowlers to deliver 91 overs in which Nottinghamshire CCC posted 394 for 6 at the Fischer County Ground.
There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as Leicestershire CCC and Nottinghamshire CCC stepped up their preparation for the new campaign. Given the sunny conditions, and excellent work by the groundstaff, the fixture was able to start half an hour early at 10.30am to give both sides maximum practice time.
Ben Raine and Dieter Klein shared the new ball for County and started impressively with three consecutive maidens. The pair bowled unchanged for 13 overs before Zak Chappell replaced Klein from the Bennett End.
Nottinghamshire CCC captain Steven Mullaney opened the batting with Jake Libby and both were watchful against the new ball and became more expansive in their strokeplay as the morning went on.
Mullaney went through to 50 from 81 balls, which included seven boundaries. The opening partnership was broken by Griffiths who had bowled consistently throughout the morning and deserved the wicket. Libby was the man to go, clean bowled by a nip-backer for 44.
Lunch was taken at 12:30 following a two hour first session and Notts went into the break on 112 for the loss of one wicket. Mullaney was on 55 not out and Billy Root, who was batting at No.3, was unbeaten on 8.
After lunch winter addition Tom Taylor bowled his first spell for Leicestershire CCC, bowling in tandem with spinner Parkinson. Mullaney was getting more and more at ease with the wicket as the day progressed, using his feet to good effect against the spin.
Parkinson won the battle with Mullaney as the Nottinghamshire CCC captain was caught by captain Michael Carberry at mid-off for a well-made 85.
Root took on the role of aggressor following the loss of his captain and he reached 50 from 71 balls. The brother of the England Test Captain looked stylish throughout his knock, dispatching anything short of a length to the boundary.
The left-hander had been joined by experienced all-rounder Samit Patel and Patel made 23 before being dismissed by Zak Chappell. Patel had tried to pull a back of length delivery from Chappell but Griffiths flung himself in direction of the ball to take a wonderful catch at mid-wicket. Patel went for 23 bringing another experienced campaigner to the crease in Riki Wessels.
Shortly before the tea interval Ben Mike, an all-rounder part of the Leicestershire Academy bowled his first spell for the First XI. After the tea interval Root retired for a well-constructed 85, bringing wicket-keeper Tom Moores to the crease.
Parkinson and Griffiths shared bowling duty after the interval and the slow left armer struck in the first over trapping Wessels leg before wicket for 21.
Griffiths got a deserved second wicket of the day when he had Moores caught by Neil Dexter for 5 before the two Lukes, Wood and Fletcher, joined forces at the crease.
They saw off a new ball spell from Raine and Griffiths and went on to share an unbroken 100-run partnership, each recording half-centuries in the process. Wood's 50 came from 69 balls (6x4, 1x6) while Fletcher's milestone arrived from 76 deliveries (7x4) and they ended on 54 not out and 61 not out respectively.
Nottinghamshire CCC declared their innings at the end of the day, so Leicestershire CCC will bat for the entire second day tomorrow.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Raine 19-7-51-0, Klein 12-2-51-0, Chappell 9-1-48-1, Griffiths 16-1-86-2, Parkinson 20-4-73-2, Taylor 5-1-27-0, Dexter 5-1-18-0, Mike 2-0-24-0, Javid 3-0-9-0.
* Thanks to John Mallett for the photograph of Callum Parkinson bowling against Notts today.
* Admission for the second day’s play on Friday is free of charge. Join Team Leicestershire for the 2018 season by becoming a Premium Member of the club. For further details on the advantages of joining us, please follow the link HERE
