Leaders make it tough for Foxes
Mon 10 Sep 2018
SCORE | Day 1 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Leicestershire CCC 100 v Warwickshire CCC 190-3
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Ned Eckersley spoke to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae at stumps
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REPORT | Leicestershire CCC hit back in the final session but leaders Warwickshire CCC produced a solid performance with bat and ball to take the initiative on the opening day at the Fischer County Ground.
The Bears dismissed the Foxes for 100 despite a career-best score of 23 from young all-rounder Ben Mike on his Specsavers County Championship game home debut.
In-form paceman Olly Stone and left armer Keith Barker each took three wickets, England international Chris Woakes claimed a brace, while there was a nice moment for future Fox Chris Wright, who claimed his 400th first-class wicket.
Leicestershire CCC did well after tea with Neil Dexter, Muhammad Abbas and Mike picking up a wicket apiece as the visitors went from 123 without loss to 190 for three by stumps. Opening batsman Dominic Sibley top-scored with 106.
With injuries to Zak Chappell, Gavin Griffiths, Ben Raine and Dieter Klein, as well as Richard Jones and Tom Taylor continuing their comebacks in the Second XI this week, Leicestershire CCC registered seam duo David Sayer and Usman Arshad ahead of the game.
Sayer was given his first-class debut while Arshad made his first appearance in the Specsavers County Championship since representing Durham CCC. A third change saw Ateeq Javid also coming into the XI against his former side.
The duo had to wait to get into the action as visiting captain Jeetan Patel opted against a coin toss on an overcast morning, and Barker made two early breakthroughs.
Opener Harry Dearden (3) nicked a forward defensive stroke through to Tim Ambrose, while Colin Ackermann (7) was rapped on the pads by the new ball bowler.
The Foxes then lost four wickets for the addition of three runs. Captain Paul Horton, who struck three boundaries in 19, was bowled by Woakes before Mark Cosgrove (4) was run out by the England man in his follow through after Dexter looked for a single.
Javid (0) then shouldered arms to Barker but saw the ball come back sharply from around the wicket to clip the top of off stump, while Dexter (1) was bowled by Woakes to leave the score at 43 for six.
A stand of 31 developed between Mike and Ned Eckersley (13), but the introduction of Stone brought about another breakthrough as a quick delivery took out the wicket-keeper’s off stump.
All-rounder Mike was not afraid to take on the visiting attack, and one aggressive pull stroke from the bowling of Stone flew over the top of the cordon for a maximum.
Arshad (9) drove pleasantly down the ground for four but became the eighth wicket on the brink of lunch, hitting Stone to Woakes at mid-off to leave the score at 94 for eight.
Mike’s lively innings came to an end after the break as he pulled Stone to Wright at long-leg, and Sayer (6) was the final wicket to fall when bowled by Wright.
The Warwickshire CCC openers compiled a 100-run stand inside 24 overs to make the most of the advantage.
Sibley, who looked particularly strong when striking the ball through the off-side, reached a half-century from 49 balls with his tenth boundary.
Will Rhodes was a good ally, defending well and getting his partner back on strike, and also hitting a brace of consecutive fours at the end of the 24th over.
The visitors progressed to 123 without loss at tea with Sibley on 81 and Rhodes 37, but there was an immediate breakthrough after the interval as Dexter trapped the left-hander in front without further addition to the score.
Dexter then produced another good delivery that Ian Bell pushed forward to, and he survived an appeal for caught behind. But Muhammad Abbas struck in the next over, trapping Bell (1) lbw from the Bennett End.
It was a really testing time for the batsmen as Abbas and Dexter continued to ask questions, but Sibley and Jonathan Trott worked hard.
Sibley moved to 100 from 156 balls with a three in the 51st over, and the stand reached 50 before Trott played a lovely stroke through mid-wicket to move into the thirties.
The Foxes claimed a third wicket before stumps as the accurate Mike pinned Sibley leg before, leaving Trott (35*) and Sam Hain (1*) to see their team to stumps, which arrived 5.5 overs earlier than scheduled because of bad light.
TEAM | Dearden, Horton (capt), Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dexter, Javid, Eckersley (wk), Mike, Arshad, D Sayer, Abbas.
FIGURES | Abbas 12-2-26-1, D Sayer 5-1-28-0, Arshad 11-1-55-0, Mike 12.1-4-41-1, Dexter 13-4-33-1, Ackermann 2-1-5-0.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Muhammad Abbas bowling today.
* Don't miss the second day of our Specsavers County Championship home game against leaders Warwickshire CCC! Tickets cost £12 for adults and £2 for under 16s and are available HERE
