Patel Stars on Comeback at Sophia Gardens

Rishi Patel top-scored with 82 for the Running Foxes, as a final session Glamorgan fightback stifled a day that looked to be belonging to Leicestershire.

Six wickets fell in the evening to wrestle back momentum, on what proved an even opening day in Cardiff, as Paul Nixon’s young side closed on 2, their highest first innings total of the season.

The hosts won the toss and elected to field first. The Running Foxes made two changes, as Patel and Scott Steel, who was making his first-class debut for the Club, replaced the injured Colin Ackermann and Ed Barnes.

After being inserted by Glamorgan, openers Hassan Azad and Sam Evans made a watchful start. The first boundary took 11.2 overs to eventuate, with an economical 15 runs posted prior to Azad sending one-time Leicestershire loanee James Weighell to the ropes.

Sam Evans’ patient start saw his opening boundary achieved after 49 balls, with a neat flick off the pads from a James Harris delivery.

The duo’s 50 alliance was earned 40 minutes before lunch with a single off Weighell, before Azad pleasantly drove back-to-back boundaries off debutant Andy Gorvin.

Leicestershire lunching unbroken, with the score reading 82 without loss.

After a relatively untroubled session, the first chance arose post-interval, as Azad edged a high attempted drive to left of home captain David Lloyd off Marnus Labuschagne, but the former couldn’t quite cling on.

Evans eventually departed for 29, with the stand worth 90. The right-handed opener trying to advance down the track to defend a ball of Australian star Labuschagne, but he was beaten by the turn and subsequently stumbled by Chris Cooke.

Patel displayed his attacking intent from the off, calculating a good balance between driving and leaving deliveries alone, with a beautiful straight drive for four off Michael Neser typifying his exemplary technique.

Azad soon reached his 50 via a single off Labuschagne, before Patel took the attack to the same bowler, wandering down the pitch to clear the ropes for the innings’ first maximum.

The pair put on 62 runs for the second wicket, before a calamitous call for a second saw Azad run out for 64 by Sam Northeast and Cooke’s tandem work.

After taking tea on 168-2, new man Louis Kimber followed Azad back to the pavilion during the first over after the resumption via the same method of dismissal. A call for a quick single saw hesitation, with Neser making no mistake in arrowing the ball at the stumps to run Kimber out for 10.

Wiaan Mulder got off the mark with two identical whipped boundaries, before smashing a huge six off Andrew Salter in the ensuing over.

Ten balls later, Patel followed suit, bringing up his maiden first-class 50 in style. Fresh from his hundred for the Second XI earlier this week, the former Essex batsman skipped down the track and clubbed a glorious maximum to earn his milestone.

A stint of big hitting was curtailed when Mulder was trapped on the back foot for 16, trying to pull Labuschagne to leg. It was to become two-in-two, as Steel was bowled for a golden duck on his first-class debut for the Running Foxes.

The hat-trick ball was safely negotiated by Harry Swindells, who clipped the ball away for two. The ‘keeper played a bright cameo, until the new ball accounted for demise. An attempted drive off saw the ball nip in between bat and pad to bowl him for 22.

Another 22 runs were added before Patel’s outstanding knock came to end in unfortunate fashion, as the number three chopped a wide James Harris delivery onto his stumps to walk back to the changing rooms for a career-best 82.

Skipper for the match, Callum Parkinson, got away first ball gratefully steering a full toss on leg stump for four.

He was soon to lose his partner though. After an off-side drive for four, Mike looked to repeat the feat, but inside edged an in-swinger from Weighell onto his stumps on 17.

Parkinson (8*) and Chris Wright (10*) got through to the close, with the score on 285-8. Play resumes tomorrow at 11am.