Foxes tested by students

Leicestershire CCC v Loughborough MCCU: Day 1 at the Fischer County Ground

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REPORT | Loughborough MCCU gave Leicestershire a tough examination on the opening day of the first-class game at the Fischer County Ground.

Ned Eckersley top-scored with 49 but seam trio Basil Akram, Ben Ladd-Gibbon and Sam Cook shared all ten wickets as Leicestershire were dismissed for 194.

Akram was particularly impressive with a career-best 5-54 and the Students moved to 20 without loss after 9.3 overs before play ended early due to a combination of bad light and rain.

Leicestershire handed debuts to James Burke and Gavin Griffiths while Academy batsman Sam Evans, who ended the day on 12 not out, was making his first-class debut for the visitors.

Captain Mark Cosgrove won the toss and elected to bat on a dry but cold morning as the opening first-class match of the 2017 season got underway.

Openers Paul Horton and Harry Dearden were tested against a lively new ball attack of Bobby Gamble and Cook but quickly settled to the task.

Horton played a couple of trademark cover drives in the early exchanges while Dearden also unleashed a stroke in that area before picking off another boundary through mid-wicket.

The duo went extremely close to seeing off the opening bowlers but Leicestershire lost a wicket the ball before Akram replaced Gamble at the Bennett End. Horton (20) did not offer a stroke and lost his off stump as a Cook delivery came back sharply off the seam.

Akram then showed the same accuracy as Cook in following up with two wickets of his own. The left-handed duo of Dearden (14) and Cosgrove (9) were also bowled by deliveries that disturbed off stump as the Foxes were reduced to 53-3 in the 15th over.

Hill and Eckersley knuckled down to steer the ship into calmer waters before Ladd-Gibbon claimed his maiden first-class wicket. Hill (23), who had just sent a delightful cut to the fence, played on to leg stump as the 44-run stand came to its conclusion.

Ladd-Gibbon then struck again in his next over with Burke (0) becoming the fifth successive batsman to be bowled, shouldering arms to a delivery that took out the off stump, leaving Leicestershire at 101-5.

The score progressed by eight runs at lunch with Eckersley on 25 and Tom Wells 5, and the latter showed intent in the afternoon session, including taking 14 off the first over after the restart from Akram.

His bright innings came to an end at 24 in attempting to score off a Cook bouncer, Akram taking the safe catch down at long-leg.

Eckersley continued to accumulate with authority, including one cracking drive through mid-off, but he lost another partner. Zak Chappell was smartly taken by Adam Tillcock at first slip from the bowling of debutant Ladd-Gibbon.

Akram then joined Ladd-Gibbon on three wickets as he pinned Eckersley in front one shy of his half-century to leave Leicestershire at 173-8.

Leicestershire were edging towards the 200-mark when Rob Sayer and Gavin Griffiths joined forces but the off-spinner departed for 19 when Akram had him snapped up at slip by Tillcock. 

The innings came to an end with the very next delivery as Charlie Shreck (0) opted to leave and was bowled by one that came back to hit the off stump, Akram completing his five-for.

Chappell and Griffiths asked questions of the students with the new ball but Hasan Azad and Evans stood firm in the period of play that was possible before conditions deteriorated rapidly.

Leicestershire | Horton, Dearden, Hill, Cosgrove *, Eckersley +, Wells, Burke, Sayer, Chappell, Griffiths, Shreck.

Loughborough MCCU | Evans, Azad, Bracey, Kumar, White +, Akram, Thurston, Tillcock, Gamble, Cook, Ladd-Gibbon.

Bowling figures - Loughborough MCCU: Gamble 13-1-36-0, Cook 17-3-38-2, Akram 14-2-54-5, Ladd-Gibbon 11-1-47-3, Tillcock 2-0-5-0.

Leicestershire: Chappell 5-1-13-0, Griffiths 4.3-0-7-0.

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photo of Ned Eckersley.