Northants claim 92-run victory
Wed 29 Apr 2015
Northamptonshire’s seamers bowled their side to a 92-run victory over Leicestershire in a competitive LV=CC game at Grace Road.
The groundstaff did a magnificent job to get play underway on time after heavy rain this morning and Leicestershire resumed on 44-1, needing a further 332 runs to win.
The visitors’ pacemen had other ideas and bowled out County for 283 despite Niall O’Brien’s 58. Rory Kleinveldt (23.5-4-87-4), Muhammad Azharullah (19-1-77-3), Olly Stone (18-6-32-2) and Dave Willey (15-4-48-1) shared the wickets.
Head Coach Andrew McDonald said: “There were a lot of positives but there were some crucial periods when we didn’t quite execute well. You look at a hundred run deficit and you can probably find more than that where we could have been better.
“Each day you learn about the players, and if we improve from here we’ll hold ourselves in good stead. We took 20 wickets, and created more than 20 opportunities, and that’s a real positive when last year we averaged 13 wickets a game.”
Ned Eckersley (37, 111 balls) and Angus Robson (32) hit nice strokes to pick up a boundary apiece in the opening exchanges but three wickets fell for the addition of 35 runs in the space of 8.4 overs to give Northants the impetus.
Azharullah removed Robson’s off stump with a good delivery, captain Mark Cosgrove (2) fell leg before to Stone and Neil Pinner was lbw to Azharullah, who struck with his first delivery of a new spell after switching to the Bennett End.
Eckersley and O’Brien then shared 59 for the fifth wicket to stop the Northants charge. O’Brien looked good off his pads and driving through the off side while Eckersley continued to grind out runs.
The alliance passed 50 in the 42nd over as Eckersley tickled a four down to fine leg. It sadly came to an end in the next over as Eckersley fell lbw to Kleinveldt.
Tom Wells (13) joined O’Brien and the duo took the score to 171-5 at lunch. The ‘keeper went on to post a vital 59-ball fifty with a sixth four, a terrific drive through mid-on. Kleinveldt then dealt Leicestershire two massive blows in an eventful 53rd over.
The South Africa international trapped Wells lbw with the first ball, saw Raine collect three and O’Brien clatter two consecutive fours – the first of which was a no-ball - before bowling the former Northants batsman off a combination of inside edge and pad.
An entertaining stand of 37 followed from Clint McKay (30) and Ollie Freckingham (26 not out) before another bowling change from Alex Wakely again did the trick.
McKay played a number of good strokes, just as he did in the first innings, but was caught at deep backward square leg by Rob Newton off the first delivery of Stone’s new stint. It was the first time the young seamer had bowled from the Pavilion End today.
Charlie Shreck (13) smashed a trio of fours in a last wicket partnership worth 22 but he was the last wicket to fall, feathering an attempted cut to Rossington off Kleinveldt. Leicestershire’s next challenge is an LV-CC game at Kent at Canterbury on Sunday.
