Mike shines on debut
Tue 4 Sep 2018
SCORE | Day 1 of 4, Specsavers County Championship: Sussex CCC 323-8 v Leicestershire CCC
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo
REACTION | Ben Mike spoke to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae at stumps
HIGHLIGHTS | In-play highlights are available throughout the 2018 season
REPORT | Ben Mike enjoyed a fine debut as Leicestershire CCC’s spirited attack worked hard on the opening day of the Specsavers County Championship game at Sussex CCC.
The Foxes, who were without Zak Chappell and Gavin Griffiths with side niggles, stuck to their task despite Sussex CCC reaching 126 for one at one stage.
Mike finished with figures of three for 57 from 13 overs while Ben Raine charged in throughout the day to take three for 62 as the hosts closed at 323 for eight in Hove.
Sussex CCC had four half-centurions including Ben Brown (60) and Chris Jordan (52*), who shared a valuable 110 runs for the seventh wicket.
Brown won the toss on a morning that had a nip in the air and elected to bat first. There was one change to the Leicestershire CCC side as Mike came in for his maiden first-class appearance in place of the injured Griffiths.
It looked from the outset that it would be a good toss to win as there was full value for strokeplay on a white wicket combined with lush green turf and pronounced slope.
Haines guided a couple of early boundaries across the square, and Salt also looked in good touch when cracking four drives towards the pavilion.
There were a couple of early scares as Salt nicked narrowly beyond a diving slip fielder while the batsmen almost handed a run out opportunity when meeting in the middle as they considered the prospect of a run.
Muhammad Abbas was extremely economical, but the 50 partnership arrived inside 12 overs, and Mike came on to replace Abbas at the Cromwell Road End.
The well-organised Haines was looking for width, as demonstrated by a brace of boundaries that beat the third man fielder to his left despite him being relatively close to the ball as it thudded into the boards.
Raine found the outside edge of Salt, but the chance didn’t quite carry to Colin Ackermann at second slip, before Mike claimed his maiden first-class wicket in style.
Salt (44) looked to pepper one straight, but Mike got his right hand to the ball just before it hit the ground to end an attractive opening alliance at 79.
It checked home progress, and after Mike’s impressive first spell ended with figures of one for 18 from six overs, spinners Callum Parkinson and Ackermann bowled neatly in tandem as the hosts went in at 97 for one from 29 overs.
Runs initially came quickly after the interval but Leicestershire CCC stormed back as the session progressed, with Sussex 122 for five from the 35 overs of play.
Haines gathered three boundaries in the first three overs to move to 50 from 99 balls (10x4), while Wells also found the ropes before launching a flat straight six.
Left-handed opener Haines (56) had been picking out a particular spot down to third man - slightly wider than a conventional position - and Raine took a catch there off Abbas to leave the hosts at 126 for two.
Parkinson continued to cause problems from the Sea End but Wells survived on two different occasions. Firstly, the No.3 advanced, Eckersley had to set himself for the stumping, and a nick bounced off the ‘keeper’s gloves and wide of slip on the rebound.
Wells then got a firmer connection to a leg-side stroke and Harry Dearden couldn’t quite hold on under the helmet - it was the sort of opportunity that either sticks or it doesn’t.
The classic seam and spin combination had created considerable pressure, and Raine capitalised when replacing Abbas at the Cromwell Road End by trapping Harry Finch (4) lbw with one that nipped back to strike him right in front.
After the Foxes banked their first bowling point, there was a really good contest as the two Lukes - Wells and Wright - looked to play positively but were asked questions by Raine and Parkinson.
Wells progressed to 50 in the 52nd over, but Wright nearly departed when a cut off Raine went down at point. It looked as though something could happen at any given moment.
County grabbed a deserved fourth wicket when Wells (58) was caught by Eckersley off Neil Dexter. The all-rounder put it into a good area and the batsman appeared to be in two minds; the ball almost ran off the bat face en route to the ‘keeper.
Mike then built on that by striking twice in the space of three balls by bowling Wright (27) before having David Wiese (0) spectacularly taken by Dearden at gully.
It meant that Sussex CCC went to tea at 219 for six with Brown on 12* and Jordan 10*, and the duo continued to accumulate as the floodlights came on during the 70th over.
Brown looked strong on the pull as the stand passed 50, and Jordan then hit an excellent straight four down the ground. The new ball was taken immediately, but Brown cut and clipped a brace of fours to move to an excellent half-century from 70 balls (6x4).
Jordan drove the ball well, as demonstrated through two consecutive strokes through extra in the 82nd over, before the Foxes came close to making it seven. Abbas drew an edge from Brown, the ball went towards Cosgrove at first slip, but the umpires could not be certain that the ball had carried.
The stand reached three figures before Brown edged Raine to Eckersley, and although Jordan posted his landmark from 69 deliveries (8x4), Jofra Archer (1) was then leg before to the all-rounder.
Bad light brought a slightly premature end to the day, with 7.3 overs scheduled to be bowled at the point umpires Neil Mallender and Ian Blackwell took the players off.
TEAM | Horton (capt), Dearden, Ackermann, Cosgrove, Dexter, Eckersley (wk), Raine, Mike, Parkinson, Klein, Abbas.
FIGURES | Abbas 20.3-5-60-1, Klein 4-0-29-0, Raine 17-1-62-3, Mike 13-1-57-3, Parkinson 19-3-56-0, Ackermann 3-0-7-0, Dexter 12-1-35-1.
PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Ben Mike.
* Leicestershire CCC’s next Specsavers County Championship home game is against leaders Warwickshire CCC on Monday, September 10 (10.30am start). Tickets cost £12 for adults and £2 for under 16s and are available for all four days HERE
