Pettini praise for batting colleagues

Mark Pettini is delighted with the batsmen’s strong start to the Specsavers County Championship campaign.

Pettini and Paul Horton both hit centuries during the draw at Sussex, which with Neil Dexter’s 131 against Kent the previous week, means that all three of the club’s winter signings have already registered three figure scores this season.

Leicestershire has recorded 13 out of 15 batting points in compiling first innings scores of 427, 401-9 declared, and 473-8 declared, and the team also made 114-0 in the second innings against Glamorgan.

Six players currently average 50 or above, so the batsmen will be looking to continue their good form against Northants on Sunday (11am).

Pettini said: "It's been a good start for all of us but it’s important we use our experience to get runs. For myself it's just been fantastic to get a chance to play four-day regularly again. It's been a great move for me. I have always believed in my four-day cricket.

“Things have been going really well with our batting and it’s good to see. Horts (Paul Horton) is playing fantastically well, scoring runs like he is at the top of the order against the new ball is setting us up so nicely, and it is also allowing the bowlers to get a break and come in hard.”

Elite Performance Director Andrew McDonald believes that Leicestershire’s performance at Hove this week marked what he called “a significant step” in terms of the team moving forward this season.

The Foxes came impressively close to forcing victory on a very flat wicket, and it took an outstanding innings from Sussex opener Chris Nash, who batted for more than seven hours and faced 315 deliveries in compiling 144, to prevent them recording a second win of the season.

Even so, 12 points from the match leaves Leicestershire second in Division Two, 21 points behind leaders Essex but with a game in hand. 

McDonald, however, said he was not concerned about the table at this stage in proceedings as they prepare for the fourth match of the season.

“That will take care of itself over 16 games, to me it’s about the style of cricket we’re playing and the game plan we put in place,” said McDonald. “If we keep playing the way we are, and executing like we have been, the results will take care of themselves.

“When you prepare well for a season you expect individuals to perform from the start, and that’s what both the batters and bowlers are doing.”

Leicestershire has no new injury concerns ahead of Sunday’s match against Northants with pace bowler Zak Chappell still unavailable after picking up a side injury against Kent.

Batsman Ned Eckersley has started his recovery from a broken finger by playing for the Second XI this week, and the only change to the 13-man squad sees Tom Wells coming in for Lewis Hill.

McDonald is delighted with how his players are performing, with competition for places already proving significant.

He said: “We knew positions would be hard to obtain, which means if you get an opportunity you have to take it - and more importantly, do what’s required for the team. It’s tough on guys who are not in the side, but otherwise I’m pretty sure they’ll be happy with where the club is at.”

County take on a Northants side that has had a mixed start to the season, with a defeat to Essex sandwiched between two excellent batting performances in draws against Sussex and Derbyshire.

Our visitors have had some injury problems but the situation is now improving. All-rounder Steven Crook made his comeback in the latest match against Derbyshire, and Rob Keogh and Oli Stone could return against the Foxes after neing named in the travelling squad of 13.

Leics (from): Cosgrove (capt), Horton (vice captain), Robson, Dexter, Pettini, O’Brien (w/k), Ali, Wells, White, Raine, McKay, Naik, Shreck.

Northants (from): Wakely (capt), Libby, Duckett, Cobb, Levi, Rossington (w/k), Crook, Kleinveldt, Stone, White, Azharullah, Keogh, Sanderson.

* As part of a deal agreed between the clubs, Northants CCC Members can come to all four days of the match free of charge on presentation of a 2016 membership card. Leicestershire CCC Members can also enjoy the same arrangement for the return fixture from Saturday, August 13-Tuesday, August 16.