Griffiths, Sayer & Shreck strike

Leicestershire CCC v Loughborough MCCU: Day 2 at the Fischer County Ground

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REPORT | Leicestershire’s attack remained patient as Loughborough MCCU posted 175-4 on a truncated second day at the Fischer County Ground.

Gavin Griffiths (12-3-24-2), Rob Sayer (13-4-20-1) and Charlie Shreck (15-5-36-1) enjoyed success with two wickets coming late in the day as a reward for County’s approach.

The visiting batsmen showed plenty of application as they homed in on Leicestershire’s first innings score of 194. 

Opener Hasan Azad led the way by absorbing 175 deliveries to post 59 not out while James Bracey (56) and Nitish Kumar (34) also made valuable contributions. 

Griffiths had an early change of ends on day two and it paid immediate dividends, the seamer trapping Sam Evans (12) lbw with his first ball from the Bennett End.

Bad light brought a halt to proceedings shortly afterwards with the score at 25-1 but play was able to resume at 11.50am. Left-handers Azad and Bracey gritted it out against some accurate seam bowling and picked off any scoring opportunities that arose.

The score passed 50 in the 23rd over when the former struck his third boundary, a square drive off James Burke, before the all-rounder carved out an opportunity.

Bracey, who was the aggressor during the 87-run alliance, edged towards Mark Cosgrove at second slip but the ball was dipping as it got to the skipper and he couldn’t get his hands underneath it.

Off-spinner Sayer delivered a parsimonious spell before lunch at the Pavilion End but there was no further breakthrough for Leicestershire as Loughborough MCCU went in at 91-1.

Bracey scored ten runs off the second over of the afternoon session, including a brace of boundaries to take his tally to eight, as he completed a 104-ball 50.

Sayer continued to probe away and finally picked up some deserved reward as the number three batsman chipped a catch to Paul Horton at mid-off to leave Loughborough MCCU at 111-2.

Another stand developed between Kumar and Azad, who recorded his half-century in the 57th over by glancing a rising Zak Chappell delivery down to fine-leg. It was the eighth boundary of a 156-ball landmark.

Kumar, meanwhile, had a far higher strike rate that was achieved through some elegant strokes, including two beautifully cover-driven boundaries.

The score had progressed to 162-2 after 60 overs, at which point the players left the field for a second time because of the fading light. An early tea was taken and the light improved to allow a 5.25pm restart.

Leicestershire struck twice upon the resumption with both Kumar (34) and Robbie White (7) being trapped leg before by Griffiths and Shreck respectively. 

Poor light immediately forced the third stoppage of the day and this time the players were not to return to the field.

Bowling figures: Chappell 11-3-35-0, Griffiths 12-3-24-2, Sayer 13-4-20-1, Shreck 15-5-36-1, Burke 5-0-15-0, Horton 1-0-8-0, Wells 7-0-30-0.

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph of Gavin Griffiths.