Foxes Bowlers Graft Hard On Testing Opening Day

By Richard Rae, ECB Reporters' Network, supported by Rothesay

A maiden first-class century from young opener Asa Tribe saw Glamorgan lay the foundations for a substantial first innings score in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match between Leicestershire and Glamorgan at Uptonsteel County Ground.

The 21-year-old Channel Islander, making only his ninth first-class appearance, demonstrated a maturity beyond his years as having got off to a flying start against a much-changed Foxes attack, he settled down to reach his century off 158 balls, including 14 fours and one maximum.

The Leicestershire bowlers improved as the day went on, regaining some control over the scoreboard, but solid contributions from fellow opener Zain ul-Hassan, Kiran Carlson and latterly Colin Ingram, who ended the day with an unbeaten half-century, ensured the visitors enjoyed the best of the first day.

Given both sides came into the match on the back of a run of three day victories - four for Leicestershire, three for Glamorgan - the number of changes made to their previous championship line-ups came as something of a surprise, though injuries played a part.

With Ian Holland and Josh Hull unavailable, and Rehan Ahmed nursing a niggle that meant he could not bowl, Leicestershire chose to leave left out regular wicketkeeper Ben Cox, with Handscomb taking his place behind the stumps, bringing in left-arm spinner Liam Trevaskis and right-arm seamer Sam Wood for their first first-class outings of the season. Veteran seamer Chris Wright also came back into the side.

Glamorgan too gave a spinner, Mason Crane, his first Championship appearance of the season, with Ingram, Ben Kellaway and Ned Leonard also returning. All will have been pleased to see skipper Sam Northeast win the toss and opt to bat first on one of the relaid pitches and certainly there was not too much to encourage the Leicestershire seamers during the first hour.

Ul-Hassan somewhat unluckily became the only wicket to fall in the morning session, glancing a delivery from Wright down the leg-side only for Handscomb to take a diving catch.

Leicestershire's attack improved in both accuracy and length after the break, and Tribe was fortunate when on 72 he edged Ben Green behind the wicket only for Handscomb, diving to his right, to drop the catch.

He also lost Northeast, the captain looking less than impressed to be given out caught behind when hooking at a bouncer from Wood, but a cleanly hit straight six off Trevaskis took him into the nineties and he showed few nerves in going on to three figures before edging a drive at Logan van Beek, giving Handscomb a third victim behind the stumps.

Kiran Carlson and Ingram put on 60 for the fourth wicket before Carlson used his feet once too often at Trevaskis and was yorked, the ball squeezing on to his leg stump. Ingram, in company with Kellaway, worked his way towards his fifty, and although he lost Kellaway - trapped in front by a van Beek delivery which came back - he reached the landmark off 101 deliveries shortly before the close.