Hill and Green Stage Superb Recovery To Hand Leicestershire Lead

Lewis Hill (88) and the returning Ben Green (83*) led a superb recovery effort to help Leicestershire gain a slender advantage heading into the third and final day of their meeting with Nottinghamshire at Uptonsteel County Ground.

The Foxes’ ninth-wicket duo added 125 together either side of tea to recover from 122/8 to 269 all out, a lead of six runs after first innings.

Rishi Patel scored the first runs of the day, crashing a full and wide delivery outside off from Josh Tongue to the cover boundary.

At the other end, Sol Budinger made a typically speedy start, racing to 14 with a trio of fours before Dillon Pennington dislodged his off stump.

Patel pulled England international Olly Stone mightily for six to bring up Leicestershire’s fifty midway through the 14^th over, but he lost partner Ian Holland (6) to Pennington four balls later.

It sparked a flurry of wickets, as Patel himself went for 30 in the same vein“ caught by wicketkeeper Dane Schadendorf off Pennington “ before Rehan Ahmed (8) and Louis Kimber (0) both fell victim to Lyndon James to leave Leicestershire 75/5.

Captain Ben Cox helped steady the ship pre-lunch - taking the Foxes into the break alongside Hill on 95/5 - but he lasted just four balls after the restart, falling in highly unfortunate fashion.

Looking to glance spinner Farhan Ahmed into the leg side, Cox (11) hit the ball onto his hip before it perilously spun backwards onto his stumps.

Liam Trevaskis (19) and Ben Mike (0) both perished leg-before to Stone within the space of four balls, leaving Leicestershire tottering on 122/8 forty minutes into the afternoon.

Hill continued his defiant innings, however, passing fifty for the second consecutive pre-season match with a swift flick to the mid-wicket boundary ropes off James.

At the other end, Green went about his business in confident touch. Linking up with the group before play on Thursday morning following Somerset’s tour of Abu Dhabi, the all-rounder began to collect boundaries with increased frequency as the overs ticked by before tea.

He reached a wonderfully judged half-century off 81 balls seven overs after the restart, crisply cutting Pennington to the vacant third man boundary for four.

Seven deliveries later, Hill picked off the same bowler to bring up the 100 partnership from 151 balls. It was made almost in equal measure, with Hill contributing 51 and Green adding 52.

Hill then departed 12 runs shy of his century following a barrage of short-pitched Conor McKerr bowling from round the wicket. Moving across his stumps, Hill misjudged one that crashed into his off peg, ending a 125-run alliance with Green.

Having got Leicestershire to parity alongside Tom Scriven, Green demonstrated the most eye-catching of his 16 boundaries, whacking Ahmed - brother of Foxes all-rounder Rehan - over The Meet with a forceful blow for six.

Continuing his short-pitched ploy, McKerr then dismissed Scriven (5), who gloved one to Jack Haynes at leg slip, to wrap up the innings. Leicestershire all out for 269, leading by six, heading into the final day.

A full scorecard can be viewed HERE.