Good game developing at Grace Road
Mon 27 Apr 2015
Leicestershire were not able to fully capitalise on a good position but there is still all to play for in the LV=CC game against Northants at Grace Road.
County were going great guns on 139-1 but slipped to 201-7 once opener top-scorer Angus Robson fell for 75. Ben Raine and Clint McKay, who both scored 47, shared a vital 87 for the eighth wicket to get the team up to 305.
Raine and Charlie Shreck took a wicket apiece as Northants closed on 105-2 in their second innings, and things could have been even better had Raine not seen three catches go to ground off his bowling.
There were still plenty of positives to come from the day and the visitors only hold a slender lead of 51 into the third day, so it promises to be an intriguing third day at Grace Road.
Leicestershire resumed on 102-1 in reply to Northants' first innings score of 251. Robson and Eckersley had a watchful start against some probing bowling before Robson drove consecutive boundaries in the sixth over of the morning.
Eckersley then collected a pair of beautiful fours through extra and mid-on in the next over and Robson found the fence twice in the 34th over as the stand moved past 50. The duo got the team beyond the first hour but Northants then claimed five wickets for the addition of 37 runs.
Robson edged Willey to Stephen Peters at first slip and Eckersley (28) nicked Olly Stone to Alex Wakely in the cordon. After an encouraging start by the team, Cosgrove and Pinner started their alliance without a run between them, which is never an ideal situation.
Number five Pinner fell in the most unfortunate fashion, dragging a full Willey delivery onto leg stump, and Cosgrove was then bowled by a jaffa from Stone. Again, it meant that two batsmen were together without scoring, this time Niall O’Brien and Tom Wells.
Keeper O’Brien (9) hit a couple of boundaries before feathering the returning Azharullah to Adam Rossington on the stroke of lunch, so Leicestershire went in on 177-6.
Wells (18) and Raine recorded the first batting point after the break before Wells edged Stone, who had just replaced Willey, to Rossington. Raine and McKay then shared a lively alliance to ensure that Leicestershire gained a first innings advantage.
McKay was particularly strong between extra cover and mid-off and Raine also showed intent. When the left-hander nudged a four down to third man, it had a triple impact - recording the 50 stand, the second batting point and moving Leicestershire into the lead.
The Australian smashed a four and six down the ground when Josh Cobb entered the attack and Raine drilled Azharullah through mid-wicket for another four as the runs kept flowing.
McKay looked set for a debut half-century before Willey held a catch at long-on off Cobb and Raine, who scored ten off the first three deliveries of Azharullah’s 21st over, also fell three shy of 50 after being bowled by the seamer’s next ball. The innings was concluded in the first over of the new ball as Shreck (0) was caught at mid-wicket by Richard Levi off Rory Kleinveldt.
Tea was taken at that point in proceedings so there was a long final session of 38 overs. Peters hit three successive fours in the fourth over and Levi offered useful support as Northants got stuck in.
The in-form Raine then entered the attack from the Bennett End and bowled another inspired spell. There was a chance in the 15th over as Levi top edged an attempted drive off the all-rounder but Robson couldn’t quite hold on after running around at third man.
Raine then had his man in his next over as Levi nicked to Pinner at second slip with the score on 49. The 23-year-old continued to make things happen; he saw Peters put down by Pinner in the same position in his next offering before having a big lbw shout against the opener turned down.
The unlucky Raine again came close when Wakely pulled down to long leg but McKay couldn’t hang on this time. Peters then moved to an 89-ball 50 that included eight fours but he fell shortly afterwards as Robson took the catch in the gully off the ever-accurate Shreck.
There was a brief delay for bad light but the players were soon back on and Northants negated the final seven overs to close on 105-2.
Bowling figures: McKay 12-3-27-0, Shreck 12-5-29-1, Raine 7-2-18-1, Wells 3-0-17-0, Cosgrove 3-2-10-0, Redfern 1-0-2-0.
