Foxes claim victory in final home game of 2021

DAY FOUR | Leicestershire CCC 492-4d v Sussex CCC 359 & 128 “ Leicestershire win by an innings and 5 runs

SCORECARD | Available HERE

POINTS | Leicestershire 24, Sussex 5

REPORT | Hassan Azad and Lewis Hill continued their form in the middle with the former recording his 500th run of the 2021 LV= County Championship as well as his career first-class best, and the latter also recording his career first-class best.

The duo also rewrote the history books for Leicestershire after posting the record third wicket stand in first-class cricket against Sussex CCC.

Day four got underway following a delayed start, with play commencing at 11:30am after the third day washout at the Uptonsteel County Ground.

Numerous inspections took place throughout the morning of the final day “ the final day of Foxes cricket to take place at the Uptonsteel County Ground in 2021 “ as umpires Robinson and Newell, along with the ground staff did their utmost to see some cricket.

Hassan Azad (122*) and Lewis Hill (109*) eventually returned to the crease to commence Leicestershire’s first innings on 291 for two.

Jack Carson opened the bowling on the final day for the visitors from the Bennett End.

The Leicestershire duo highlighted their impetus from the off and began to score runs at a rate with both batsmen recording boundaries in abundance.

Hill “ who started the day on 109* - was the man leading from the front and soon surpassed his career first-class best when his record innings came to a close on 145, just five runs shy of his first professional 150.

Crocombe was the man to strike after the Foxes man guided his pull shot to sub, Foreman, who was stood at deep backward square leg.

With Hill’s wicket, the third wicket partnership record against Sussex CCC in first-class cricket was updated, eclipsing the previous best of 163 set by George Watson and Maurice Tompkin in Hastings in 1947.

Louis Kimber emerged to join Azad (147*) in the middle with County on 356 for three.

The next over saw Azad accomplish his first 150 in professional cricket, after clubbing Hunt away through midwicket for his thirteenth four of the innings “ the 150 coming from 258 balls.

Three balls later saw Azad (152) joining his teammates back in the pavilion, though, after Foreman and Crocombe teamed up again to dismiss the opener.

The Foxes man looked to use the pace and bounce of Crocombe’s bouncer, but only managed to lift it towards Foreman at deep point who took the catch.

County were now on 362 for four as Harry Swindells joined Kimber in the middle.

Three overs later and the duo were heading back into the pavilion with Leicestershire taking lunch on 375 for four “ leading by 26.

The Foxes continued to score at over four an over with Swindells and Kimber scoring at nearly a-run-a-ball as County’s score surpassed the 400-run mark.

The duo’s individual strike-rates then increased to over 100 with the batsmen upping the intensity as Leicestershire neared their declaration.

Swindells went on to record his half-century, coming from 68 balls, and including six fours as he dropped Joe Sarro into the leg side to run the two required.

Kimber then responded with his maiden first-class half-century for the Running Foxes after flicking Tom Hinley down to square leg to run the single required “ the fifty coming from 45 balls, including six fours and a huge six.

After 102 overs, Leicestershire decided that their lead was enough to try and carve out a victory in the remaining 48 overs of the day.

Leicestershire declared on 494 for four, having secured all five bonus batting points with Swindells’ (69*) and Kimber’s (59*) fifth wicket partnership intact on 130*.

Abi Sakande opened the bowling for Leicestershire from the Bennett End as the sunshine broke through for the first time in the day.

The opening duo of Ali Orr and Tom Haines for the visitors started on the front foot, attacking the bowling of the Running Foxes and making early in-roads into the 133-run deficit.

Sussex’ fifty came up after just 8.3 overs and 38 minutes “ five balls later though, and the partnership was broken after the wicket of Orr fell.

Parkinson was the man to claim it after finding the outside-edge of the batsman, with Harry Swindells taking the catch behind the stumps.

Ben Brown made his way to the middle for the remaining 10 balls of the session and saw Sussex through to tea sitting on 58 for one “ trailing by 75.

Brown lasted five final session overs before his wicket was up as Ben Mike claimed his first wicket of the innings.

The Sussex man departed for 12 before clipping Mike’s away swinger towards Sakande stood at backward point who took the catch.

Sussex were 77 for two, but soon found themselves on 83 for three.

The batsman to go was Haines (31) after Ed Barnes got one to swing back in slightly and wrap the opener on the pads.

Delray Rawlins walked out to join Oliver Carter (1*) in the middle, with the latter having faced 21 balls for his solitary run.

Rawlins’ stay in the middle lasted slightly shy of an hour and yielded 34 further runs for the visitors before Mike picked up his second wicket.

The Foxes man angled one away from the batsman who nicked it through to Swindells for the ‘keeper to take his second grab if the innings.

Rawlins departed for 21 as Tom Hinley joined Carter (7*) in the middle with Sussex on 117 for four, still trailing by 16.

Three runs later, and Leicestershire claimed their fifth wicket of the second innings as Parkinson beat the attempted defence of Hinley (1) and cracked the top of his off stump.

The following over saw two further Sussex wickets fall, off the bowling of Mike who recorded a double-wicket maiden.

First to go for the visitors was Carter (9) who looked to pull Mike’s short delivery away through the leg side. The batsman dragged it as far as Sam Evans stood at leg gully who took the catch.

Mike then found himself on a hat-trick ball, despite bring a close to the over, after trapping Crocombe infront for a golden duck.

No further runs were scored as Leicestershire took their eighth wicket of the innings, with just over seven overs remaining.

Carson (2) went, as Parkinson got one to turn back in towards the batsman. The ball deceived the line the batsman was playing down and went on to crash against the pads.

Leicestershire now needed just one more wicket to claim victory after Fynn Hudson-Prentice retired hurt in the first innings.

The final wicket was made up of Joe Sarro and Sean Hunt as the duo had seven overs to see out at the end of day four.

The partnership lasted just shy of five overs before stand-in skipper Parkinson claimed the final wicket, and the victory for the Running Foxes.

Sarro (1) was the man to go after nicking one behind straight into the gloves of Swindells, who pouched his third of the innings.

The perfect day for Leicestershire after frustrations at the beginning of the day to claim their first victory in LV= County Championship Division Three.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Hunt 21-0-127-1, Crocombe 21-3-70-2, Carson 23-0-90-0, Sarro 9-0-64-0, Haines 9-2-21-1, Rawlins 13-0-75-0, Hinley 6-0-35-0

FIGURES (2nd inns) | Sakande 8-0-48-0, Mike 14-4-34-4, Barnes 9-3-18-1, Parkinson 14.2-6-18-4

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, George Rhodes, Lewis Hill, Louis Kimber, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Ed Barnes, Callum Parkinson (C), Chris Wright, Abi Sakande.

SUSSEX CCC | Ali Orr, Tom Haines (C), Ben Brown, Oliver Carter (wk), Fynn Hudson-Prentice, Delray Rawlins, Jack Carson, Sean Hunt, Henry Crocombe, Joe Sarro, Tom Hinley

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

MATCH SPONSOR | Thanks to Marks Electrical for sponsoring round five of the 2021 LV= County Championship.