Foxes dominate at Derbyshire

Derbyshire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 1:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE 

INTERVIEW | Colin Ackermann 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 | Mark Cosgrove continued his phenomenal record against Derbyshire, Colin Ackermann posted his first Leicestershire century and Ned Eckersley also batted beautifully as County piled on the runs at the 3aaa County Ground.

The captain shared 175 for the third wicket with Ackermann, whose 118 (177b, 17x4, 1x6) was full of fine strokes, and an unbroken 139 for the fourth with Eckersley, who made a high-class 77* off 69 balls as Leicestershire racked up 415-3 in 96 overs.

Cosgrove’s highest first-class score, 233 for Glamorgan, was against this opposition, as was his current Leicestershire best of 156. The left-hander was in punishing mood and has now scored 1,307 first-class runs at an average of 76.88 against Derbyshire, including four fifties and six hundreds. 

His last four innings at this ground have yielded scores of 156, 95*, 110 and 137*, and Cosgrove progressed to 13,000 first-class career runs when reaching 82 on the first day of this Specsavers County Championship encounter.

Leicestershire made three changes to the side that drew against Kent as Lewis Hill came in to bat at seven and keep wicket while Zak Chappell and Rob Sayer were also named in the XI. The trio came in for Tom Wells, Gavin Griffiths and Callum Parkinson.

For the first time in the Specsavers County Championship in a game involving Leicestershire, there was a coin toss - and it was a great one for Cosgrove to win on a glorious morning in Derby.

There was a minute's silence before play in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the attack in Manchester on Monday, and it was impeccably observed.

Paul Horton scored the first four of the morning through extra while Harry Dearden also sent a ball rocketing through the covers as Leicestershire reached 29-0 after ten overs.

Both openers looked in good form so it came as a surprise when Horton, on 20, feathered a Tony Palladino delivery and was caught at the wicket by Daryn Smit.

Dearden produced three handsome drives off Thakor but one was not without drama as the bowler deflected it on to the stumps. New batsman Ackermann had his wits about him and got back in the nick of time before the ball ran away for four through mid-on.

It took the Foxes 19 balls to take runs from Palladino but they arrived in fine fashion, another stylish Dearden drive being sent through the covers. 

Ackermann swept the leg-spin of Jeevan Mendis through backward square-leg and also drove Tom Taylor through the covers as Leicestershire reached 77-1 off 32 overs at lunch.

The afternoon session started in fine fashion as Dearden pulled imperiously through mid-wicket before cover driving a no-ball to the fence as the stand reached 50.

Consecutive boundaries by Ackermann put the score into three figures but a second wicket was claimed when Dearden drove at Taylor, Hughes taking the catch above his head at gully.

A terrific partnership developed between Ackermann and Cosgrove, who continually knocked the ball into gaps while finding the boundary with regularity.

Cosgrove, who survived a sharp chance on 8 when Wilson dived low to his right at second slip, picked off fours all around the wicket, including a sumptuous on-drive. 

Ackermann was generally strong on the cut and also worked the ball well through mid-wicket, collecting two boundaries in the first area and three in the second as he progressed to 50 from 89 balls (9x4).

Runs continued to flow including twelve off Thakor in the 54th over as Cosgrove and Ackermann played through backward point and down to fine-leg respectively, and both batsmen also sent late cuts to the fence.

The left-hander recorded 50 from his 67th delivery (9x4) with a single that also registered the first batting point. The stand moved into three figures in the same over before Cosgrove took his boundary account into double figures by smashing Alex Hughes over mid-on.

Tea was taken with the score at 214-2 and Leicestershire would go on to add 201 in in the final session. Derbyshire operated with spin at both ends at the start but Cosgrove twice pulled Wayne Madsen for four while Ackermann swept the same bowler to the fence before advancing down the track to hit the off-spinner for a huge six over mid-on.

The number three registered 100 from 149 balls with his 15th four and another boundary swiftly followed, a tickle off the hip registering the second batting point.

Ackermann struck another four before departing for 118, a forward defensive stroke off Mendis taking the outside edge before going to Wilson at slip.

To underline Cosgrove’s complete control, the batsman cover drove Mendis despite the wrist-spinner operating around the wicket, and also dispatched the first delivery with the second new ball hurtling through mid-wicket.

Eckersley played early drives through mid-wicket, cover and mid-on that made it look like he had been batting all day, and Leicestershire now had 300 on the board.

Cosgrove collected three fours at the start of Hemmings’ comeback over, the second of which recorded a superb century (124b, 17x4), his tenth for Leicestershire. 

The left-hander continued to treat the short ball with disdain while Eckersley timed the drive that took the score to 350 so well that a fielder positioned at deep cover quickly gave up the ghost. The batsman’s 50 came from just 49 balls, including nine fours and a six that was planted over mid-wicket. 

The four that moved Eckersley to 50, also in that region, came after a shimmy down the pitch to Palladino. It recorded the 100-run partnership in just 13 overs in the process. Maximum batting points were recorded before Eckersley hit two consecutive boundaries through cover point and mid-wicket at the end of the 94th over as the day ended in style.

All told, Eckersley struck 13 fours and a six in his relatively short stay at the crease, while Cosgrove ended proceedings with 22 fours to his name.

TEAM | Horton, Dearden, Ackermann, Cosgrove (capt), Eckersley, Pettini, Hill (wk), Chappell, Sayer, McKay, Klein.