Foxes fall to defeat in final away fixture
Thu 19 Sep 2019
DAY 4 | Glamorgan CCC 435 & 251 for five declared beat Leicestershire CCC 263 & 132 by 291 runs
SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE
POINTS | Glamorgan CCC 24, Leicestershire CCC 4
REACTION | Head Coach Paul Nixon spoke to Foxes TV following the conclusion of the final away Specsavers County Championship fixture at Glamorgan CCC. Click HERE to watch the full interview.
REPORT | Leicestershire CCC suffered a 291-run defeat in the penultimate Specsavers County Championship game of the 2019 campaign at Glamorgan CCC.
The Foxes opened the batting on the fourth and final day of Specsavers County Championship action at Sophia Gardens looking to bat throughout the final day.
Similar to the situation they had found themselves against Lancashire CCC at Aigburth CC, and most recently away at Durham CCC, County were looking to absorb pressure and keep wickets in hand.
Mark Cosgrove (3no) was the hero at Durham CCC, posting 107no and seeing out the entire final day at Chester-le-Street for the draw, and was opening the fourth day at his former county in Cardiff alongside the ever-composed Hassan Azad (15no).
Cosgrove opened the batting off the bowling of Samit Patel, and it took until the fourth over of the day until Glamorgan CCC took their first wicket, the third of the innings.
Hassan Azad (16) was the wicket to fall, pinned lbw by a superb full delivery from Hogan that nipped back in at the last second.
Four overs later, and Azad’s replacement – George Rhodes – was making his way back to the pavilion after also falling victim to the bowling of Hogan.
County’s no.5 began well, earning his first boundary of the day off Hogan only five balls into his time at the crease, before Hogan returned to strike the off stump in his next over. Harry Dearden joined Cosgrove at the crease with Leicestershire on 44 for four.
Dearden got his second innings underway with a four off Hogan. He then went on to post two further quickfire boundaries and the County run rate increased somewhat.
Cosgrove, who was looking at his defiant best, decided to join in on the boundaries as he cut Carey’s bouncer for four through the off-side, after posting six runs from his previous 80 balls.
Having hit Hogan for a two-boundary over before, Dearden then sent Smith for another brace as he accelerated his score into the twenties. Dearden was looking in great touch.
The 55-run partnership of Cosgrove and Dearden came to an end just before lunch and one run shy of the Foxes ton as Salter pinned Dearden lbw for a 59-ball 37.
Harry Swindells joined Cosgrove at the crease and saw County through to lunch on 101 for five with Cosgrove 20no and Swindells 1no.
Just over thirty minutes played in the second session and County had lost the two batsmen that opened the session.
First, Swindells (2) went, caught by David Lloyd off Patel. Five overs later, Billy Root was on hand at short-leg to run out Cosgrove (28) who looked to play Salter out through the leg-side.
Leicestershire CCC were now 110 for seven with Ben Mike and Chris Wright at the crease.
The remaining three Foxes wickets then fell within four overs of each other, including two wickets of successive balls for Salter.
Wright (6) was the first of the three to fall, caught at first slip by Lloyd off Salter, and then Davis (0) went from the next ball, caught by Hogan as he looped Salter’s delivery high into the off-side.
Gavin Griffiths (1) then came in to form the final partnership of the contest with Mike and batted for ten deliveries before edging a delivery from Patel through to Lloyd at first slip, who caught his fourth of the innings.
The wicket of Griffiths brought an end to the four days of cricket under the gleaming South Wales sun as Glamorgan CCC earned their fourth Specsavers County Championship win of the season.
TEAM | Horton (capt), Ackermann, Azad, Cosgrove, Davis, Dearden, Griffiths, Mike, Rhodes, Swindells (wk), Wright.
Glamorgan CCC | Cooke (capt & wk), Selman, Brathwaite, Cullen, Lloyd, Root, Patel, Salter, Smith, Carery, Hogan.
IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallet of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.
