Klein takes four but Lawrence stars for Essex

Leicestershire versus Essex, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | Dieter Klein spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps, the interview is available HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the second day are available HERE

REPORT | Young batsman Dan Lawrence made a mature century as part of three important partnerships as Essex built a first innings advantage of 130 in the huge Specsavers County Championship game at the Fischer County Ground.

County, inspired by Dieter Klein (21-3-84-4), reduced Essex to 68-5 on the second morning before Lawrence (123*, 254b) knuckled down impressively.

A 125-run stand of contrasting styles was formed between the teenager and Ryan ten Doeschate (86, 83b) with the England under 19s international dropping anchor and the captain dominating the scoring.

Lawrence then put on a further 130 with James Foster (54) for the following wicket and an unbroken 45 with Graham Napier (18 not out) for the ninth as Essex closed at 368-8.

Essex resumed at 13-2 in reply to Leicestershire's 238 and there was the perfect start as Klein bowled in-form opener Nick Browne (2) with the very first ball of the day. 

The left armer bowled a full delivery that came off the bat before cannoning into leg stump, and with Klein having seen off both of Essex's dangerous left-handed openers as well as nightwatchman Jamie Porter, Leicestershire had recorded their first bowling point.

Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara settled with the former looking particularly strong off his pads, punishing anything that was angling down leg, and also working the odd straight delivery through the on-side. 

Bopara (11) launched into a textbook cover drive and Westley followed suit when Charlie Shreck entered the attack.

However, the seamer, who generally operated with control throughout an extremely hot and humid day, exacted revenge with an absolute gem of a delivery that shaped away to uproot Bopara's off stump.

The return of Klein brought about Westley's downfall as the batsman, who played beautifully for 35, was enticed into a pull. The angle from around the wicket and sheer pace of the delivery saw the ball go high into the air before eventually ending in the hands of Paul Horton at deep square leg.

Essex were now at 68-5 but Lawrence and ten Doeschate dug in, each also finding time to play a beautiful drive down the ground. The duo took the score to 102-5 at lunch with Lawrence making 12 and ten Doeschate on double that amount.

The skipper played a couple of fine shots through the leg-side and the stand passed 50 inbetween those strokes. ten Doeschate went on to record a 55-ball half-century before his seventh four followed from the next ball, a flowing stroke through backward point.

When ten Doeschate took his boundary account into double figures with a flick off the pads, the stand with Lawrence had reached 102, with the captain contributing 73 of them. 

Lawrence's contribution was just as important though, and when the youngster pulled Ben Raine for four in the 54th over, he was now into the thirties.

ten Doeschate was playing a diamond of a knock, increasing the strike rate to more than a run a ball, so it was a big moment when Leicestershire got their man. The batsman had played so well but a rare loose drive off Raine was feathered in the direction of Eckersley, who took a good catch moving to his right.

County now had two bowling points and the wicket of ten Doeschate allowed the team to slow the scoring rate before tea.

Lawrence's application was rewarded with a fifty from 144 balls including six boundaries, two of which were pulled through mid-wicket and over the 'keeper's head to move him from 45 to 53. Tea was taken after 71 overs with the score at 223-6, Foster 11 not out at that point in proceedings.

After a steady start to their alliance, Lawrence and Foster went on to score more freely in the evening session and their good work ensured that Essex would end the day with a decent advantage.

Foster recorded four boundaries before the new ball was taken after 81 overs, an eight-over period in which Essex moved into the lead, the stand passed 50, and a second batting point was recorded. 

Lawrence continued on his way, with one straight drive particularly pleasing on the eye, while Foster took ten runs off the 87th over, including back-to-back boundaries.

The 100 partnership arrived before Essex banked their third batting point, and two off-driven fours from Lawrence took him to within one scoring shot of a century. The landmark was reached from 226 balls with an 11th four, a lovely cover drive off the bowling off Richard Jones.

Paceman Jones went on to clam two wickets in the space of three deliveries after finding the outside edge, Foster nicking to Eckersley and Will Rhodes (0) being expertly snapped up by Mark Cosgrove at second slip.

Lawrence kept going, though, and two consecutive fours in the 99th over saw his side through to a fourth batting point. By stumps, which arrived two overs ahead of schedule because of fading light, Lawrence had almost batted for five-and-a-half-hours and Napier had been a willing ally, striking three fours in a 30-ball stay.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Raine 20-5-70-1, Klein 21-3-84-4, Jones 18-5-69-2, Shreck 24-7-64-1, Dexter 19-0-57-0, Cosgrove 1-0-3-0.

* Thanks to Ed Melia for the photograph of Dieter Klein leaving the field on day one.