Holland and Mike Star As Leicestershire Dominate Opening Day In Cardiff
Fri 4 Apr 2025
By Blake Bint | ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay.
Leicestershire took control on the opening day of the 2025 Rothesay County Championship against Glamorgan at Sophia Gardens, bowling the hosts out for 229.
Ian Holland and Ben Mike took three wickets apiece for the visitors after putting Glamorgan into bat while Chris Cooke’s half-century was in vain after a series of starts in the top order.
Despite the success with the ball, concerns were for Rishi Patel who left the field and didn’t return after just 16 balls with a dislocated finger fielding a ball in the slips. As a result, Holland came and went as the Foxes ended the day strongly, returning for day two on 64 for 1 with Sol Budinger and makeshift number three, Mike at the crease.
After winning the toss and putting Glamorgan into bat on a green-topped Sophia Gardens wicket, the bowlers soon reaped the rewards, led by the opening pair with a combined age of 73.
The long-standing makeshift opener of Zain Ul Hassan was the first to fall, with full credit deserved for the 34-year-old Holland who troubled the Glamorgan left-handers throughout the day.
Eddie Byrom and captain Sam Northeast worked hard to see off Holland’s opening spell, combining for a 57-run partnership. but the pair fell just as the gruelling first hour appeared done. Northeast was LBW to Scriven in a mode of dismissal that had been threatened by earlier appeals, and Byrom was gone prodding outside his eyeline for a well-made 41.
Another rebuild for Glamorgan, and more signs of promise. Both Kiran Carlson and last year’s County Championship top run scorer, Colin Ingram, battled past Ben Green and Scriven bowling consistently, keeping the scoreboard ticking into lunch at 90 for 3.
Ingram came out after firing at the restart, cover-driving his way past 9,000 career first-class runs, making his early signs of discomfort like a figment of one’s imagination. In similar fashion to earlier dismissals however, wickets came in a group. Carlson and Ingram both falling to a second spell of Holland and an uncomfortable 18-ball knock from Ben Kellaway, bowled by Scriven leaving Glamorgan at 132 for 6.
Leicestershire continued to dominate the second session as the hosts bided their time, scoring at two-an-over heading into tea with the wickets of Timm van der Gugten and Andy Gorvin falling to Mike, bowling a better spell the second time around.
As the ball began to wear and the sun shone down on Sophia Gardens, the pitch appeared to flatten and life became easier for Chris Cooke and Shoaib Bashir who added 53 for the ninth wicket, 48 of those in less than 10 overs after tea; before falling to Mike claiming his third, and Rehan Ahmed picking up a first wicket, respectively.
As expected, Patel couldn’t bat for Leicestershire with his position to be monitored as the match progresses. Holland faced up before falling to van der Gugten for a third time in as many innings. Mike continued to have his day as he and Budinger negotiated Glamorgan’s bowlers until the end of play with an unbeaten partnership of 47.
