Lancashire move 107 ahead

* An audio interview with Jigar Naik, recorded by BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae, is available HERE. Thanks to Graham Hardcastle for his help today too.

Leicestershire put in a committed performance but found the going tough on the second day of the LV=CC game against Division Two leaders Lancashire at Emirates Old Trafford.

Lancashire progressed to 314-4 from 96 overs in reply to Leicestershire’s 207 as Karl Brown scored 96 and leading scorer Ashwell Prince (74 not out) and Paul Horton (54) also recorded half-centuries.

Jigar Naik (35-7-126-2) took two wickets and Ben Raine (15-2-30-1) was again highly economical but the Red Rose ended in a position of strength after a disciplined display with the willow.

Naik said: “We were unfortunate to get bowled out for 207 yesterday. We started off well today, but we were always chasing the game from then on. The sun was out, which helped them.

“I felt we stuck at our task well, although we would have liked one or two more wickets down. But we'll come back strong in the morning.

"I got a long spell and beat the bat a bit, but that sort of thing happens in cricket. The turn will increase, so we need to bat well, get a lead and hopefully I can bowl on that second dig."

Brown and Horton (54, 104b) navigated some tight bowling during the morning session, with Naik and new ball partners Atif Sheikh (13-4-32-0) and Raine bowling five successive maidens between the end of the fourth over and the start of the tenth.

But the openers capitalised after getting in and added 91 inside 32 overs before Andrea Agathangelou, who scored a first day 54, continued to impress against his former club.

Agathangelou took a stunning one-handed second slip catch - head high diving to his right - to help left-arm seamer Rob Taylor (11-5-43-1) get rid of Horton in the final over before lunch.

The 27-year-old right-handed Brown, who hit 14 fours and a six in 231 balls, then shared in two more substantial partnerships with Lancashire’s two former South Africa international batsmen.

Brown added 83 inside 25 overs with Alviro Petersen through the majority of the afternoon and 74 inside 20 either side of tea with Prince.

Naik had Petersen lbw for 46 (65b) as he shuffled across his crease and played to leg deep into the afternoon session to leave Lancashire on 174-2 in the 57th over and Prince survived an early stumping chance after the off-spinner did him in the flight.

Raine denied Brown his first LV=County Championship century since early 2011, the all-rounder trapping the opening batsman lbw playing back to one which kept low with Lancashire on a healthy 248-3 in the 76^th over.

Prince put on 55 inside 12 overs with captain Steven Croft for the fourth wicket, meaning this was the first time Lancashire’s first four wickets in an innings had each put on 50 or more since 2007.

Naik then picked up his second wicket when he had Croft (22) caught at mid-off by Sheikh with 303 on the board in the 87th over.

Prince and wicket-keeper Alex Davies (7 not out) negotiated the final few overs to leave Lancashire 107 ahead with six wickets in hand at the halfway stage of the game.

Other bowling figures for Leicestershire: Charlie Shreck 21-5-61-0, Agathangelou 1-0-5-0.