Outstanding Foxes

The start to the 2021 campaign has been a tough one for Leicestershire CCC, with four of their opening five fixtures in the LV= County Championship coming against perennial Division One outfits.

From the opening five rounds of the Championship season, the Running Foxes sit in last place in Group Two, just one point behind Middlesex CCC in fifth.

County recently came off the back of a weather-affected draw against Surrey CCC at the Uptonsteel County Ground, in a fixture which featured three first innings centurions for Leicestershire, followed up by Chris Wright’s second five-fer in as many games.

The start to the season may have been difficult from a results perspective for the Running Foxes, however, there have already been some eye-catching performances for Leicestershire men.

Topping the list of impressive performers is Leicestershire-born opening batsman, Sam Evans, after becoming the first player to score three Championship centuries this season; his first three for the Club.

His maiden first-class century came at the Oval; the home of Surrey, where Leicestershire fought hard to take a draw with them back to the Midlands. This went on to also eclipse his first-class best, which was recorded playing for Loughborough MCCU “ his new first-class best now standing at 138.

Evans went on to record two further centuries in each of his next matches, with the 23-year-old putting Leicestershire in the driving seat with a first innings total of 102 against Gloucestershire, as well as another dominating performance with the bat against Surrey; this time at the Uptonsteel County Ground, after posting a first innings total of 112.

Evans’ maiden first-class ton against Surrey was backed up by an impressive, composed display from Hassan Azad in the second innings, as Leicestershire’s other opening batsman anchored the Running Foxes throughout days three and four to cement the well-earned draw.

Azad posted a first-class best, and a fourth Championship century with a total of 144* against Surrey after spending 402 minutes at the crease and facing 280 balls. A typical performance from the batsman that Leicestershire fans have become accustomed to experiencing.

The centuries continued to flow for the Leicestershire batsmen, as a well-crafted 102 from Sam Evans dragged Leicestershire back from a difficult start against Gloucestershire, after losing Azad from the second ball of the day.

Evans went on to put on a second wicket stand of 127 with overseas batsman Marcus Harris, before the Australian was dismissed.

Another partnership was cut short by the opposition bowling attack before Evans was joined by the second Leicestershire centurion of the game; Lewis Hill.

Hill went on to post his first first-class century for Leicestershire since 2016, which came at the Oval against Surrey.

Just over half of Hill’s ton came during the fourth-wicket stand of 120 with Evans, before the opening batsman was dismissed - and similar to Evans, the next partnership was short-lived for Hill.

The sixth-wicket stand was when the century was brought up, alongside Ben Mike, as Hill recorded his ton from 176 balls.

No further centuries were posted by Leicestershire in this fixture, though, Chris Wright chimed in with the ball to claim his, and County’s, first five-fer of the season after claiming seven first innings wickets.

The figures for Wright’s first innings were 24.2-8-53-7, in what became his best innings figures in first-class cricket. Unfortunately, due to a steadfast second innings performance from the Gloucestershire batsmen, Wright could not build on the seven wickets and failed to turn it into a 10-wicket haul.

The visit of Surrey to the Uptonsteel County Ground saw possibly the most complete squad performance from Leicestershire so far this season, with three centuries, two first-class bests with the bat and a five-fer being recorded in the first innings.

Evans brought up his third century of the season in similar fashion to his second, following the early wicket of Azad. Evans and Marcus Harris both went on to record their centuries within an over of eachother.

Harris was the first to reach the milestone, his first for Leicestershire, with the century coming from 185 balls.

Evans then brought his century up six balls later, and 13 balls slower, with his ton coming from 198 balls.

The seventh wicket partnership of Harry Swindells and Ben Mike then saw both LCCC Academy graduates impress further with the bat as the former claimed his maiden first-class century for his home county, posting 103, with the century coming from a rapid 148 balls.

Mike was next in line to shine as he posted his first-class best score of 73, eclipsing his previous best set whilst on loan at Warwickshire during the 2019 season.

In response with the ball, during a weather-affected four days, Chris Wright lead the charge on the Surrey batsmen, claiming his second five-fer of the season with figures of 24-7-60-5, in a first innings that saw Leicestershire lead by 172 runs, despite the four days coming to an end with the final Surrey first innings wicket.

Individually, the Running Foxes are in fine fettle and have made strides so far during the 2021 campaign against high-class, international calibre opponents.

Make sure you make the most of the chance to return to the Uptonsteel County Ground and secure your tickets to the remaining home LV=County Championship fixtures, as well as the upcoming Vitality Blast and Royal London Cup campaigns.