Pillans plays key role for Foxes

Northamptonshire versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE 

INTERVIEW | Mathew Pillans spoke to BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae at stumps, the interview is available HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the second day are available HERE

REPORT | The bowlers continued to have the upper hand during the floodlit Specsavers County Championship game between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

Lewis Hill (38*) and Mathew Pillans (35) put on 60 for the ninth wicket to help Leicestershire up to 157, Northants gaining a first innings lead of 104 on day two at Wantage Road.

Leicestershire seamers Dieter Klein, Clint McKay and Pillans took a second innings wicket apiece in the first 12.2 overs before the hosts stretched their advantage to 164.

The weather closed in before County had chance to capitalise on the pressure they built, something made more frustrating given batting was likely to be at its most difficult against the pink ball in the sizeable period of play that was lopped off the final session. 

Northamptonshire’s bowlers excelled in the opening period as Leicestershire slipped from their overnight 65-4 to 133-8 by lunch, still trailing by 128 runs.

It was a remarkable first 25 minutes where the home seam bowlers did not concede a single run in the first 33 deliveries and took three wickets.

The first of those, McKay (4), was dropped to the final ball of day one but caught to the first delivery he saw of day two. McKay drove at Richard Gleeson and edged to first slip Chesney Hughes, the same man who put down the chance yesterday evening.

Gleeson struck again when Ned Eckersley (0) chipped a catch to Max Holden point. Between those dismissals, Ben Sanderson nipped a ball back into Colin Ackermann (24), forcing an inside edge into the off stump.

When Muhammad Azharullah trapped Neil Dexter lbw for 11 Leicestershire were still 16 short of the follow-on at 86-8. But Hill got stuck in alongside Pillans, who played confidently on debut as the duo shared 47 by the first interval.

'Keeper Hill batted for the majority of the session and although generally watchful, a pull off Sanderson and an on-drive from the bowling of Gleeson found the boundary.

Pillans was comfortable hitting the ball on both sides of the wicket, with one cover drive catching the eye. Two strokes off Azharullah and Rob Keogh were struck in effortless fashion over the leg-side to the ropes.

After rain delayed a resumption by 55 minutes, the alliance passed 50 and Pillans struck his fifth four as he continued to look in good form.

However, his innings was ended by a good delivery from Sanderson that rattled into off stump, and the new ball bowler would finish with fine figures of 3-36 from 20 overs.

Azharullah joined Sanderson and Glesson in claiming a three-for when bowling Klein for 5, leaving Hill unbeaten on 38 (3x4) after a gutsy 132-minute knock.

Leicestershire dismissed both openers early, Rob Newton (8) lbw to Klein for the second time in the game and Ben Duckett, after a first innings century, was taken at second slip by Eckersley off McKay for a second-ball duck to leave Northants at 12-2.

Max Holden’s 37-ball stay featured several plays-and-misses with McKay particularly unfortunate. His innings was ended as Pillans produced a snorter to remove the Middlesex loanee for 13, the ball flying off the shoulder of the bat to Paul Horton at first slip.

County's chances of getting deeper into the Northants middle order under the lights were ultimately denied by a combination of stubborn batting by home captain Alex Wakely (34 not out) and rain as the home side closed at 60-3.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Klein 3-0-16-1, McKay 8-3-18-1, Dexter 3-0-15-0, Pillans 2-0-11-1.