Pinner and Wells flourish

Neil Pinner and Tom Wells made attractive half-centuries as Leicestershire CCC and Leeds-Bradford MCCU had a good workout on the first day of the two-day friendly at Grace Road.

Both sides named 12 players and had 45 overs of batting. Wells took two wickets as Leeds-Bradford MCCU posted 170-4 and Leicestershire replied with 239-4 with Pinner top-scoring (89*) after sharing 86 for the fourth wicket with Wells (53).

The Leicestershire groundstaff did a great job to prepare a good wicket despite the recent wet conditions. Conditions were bitterly cold and fairly gloomy throughout but, crucially, it remained dry.

The match was played to LV=County Championship conditions so lunch was taken at 1pm and tea at 3.40pm. The Leicestershire XII was as follows: Boyce, Redfern, Eckersley, Pinner, Wells, Hill, Ali, Naik, Sykes, Freckingham, Wyatt, Shreck.

After Charlie Shreck and Ollie Freckingham opened the bowling, Jigar Naik took a wicket with his first ball by trapping Steve Bullen lbw for 16.

Alex Wyatt had a spell at the Pavilion End before Tom Wells replaced Naik. Henry Thompson played nicely for 41 before the young all-rounder dismissed him leg before in his first over.

James Sykes replaced Wyatt and claimed the third lbw verdict of the opening session in his second over as Billy Root (27) missed an attempted reverse sweep. Wells landed his second wicket on the stroke of lunch as Ryan McKendry (0) nicked to Lewis Hill, the Students going in on 116-4 after 30.3 overs.

Spin quartet Naik, Sykes, Dan Redfern and Neil Pinner bowled after lunch and Leeds-Bradford MCCU progressed without further loss. Logan Weston ended 59 not out, his 50 coming off 64 balls with six fours and a six, and Harry Rouse was unbeaten on 22.

Bowling figures: Shreck 6-0-22-0, Freckingham 6-2-22-0, Naik 8-2-18-1. Wyatt 6-0-23-0, Wells 6-0-31-2, Sykes 8-1-23-1, Redfern 3-0-24-0, Pinner 2-0-4-0.

There was an early blow as Matthew Boyce (0) was caught and bowled by Pratt before Redfern and Ned Eckersley shared a fluent stand of 54. Both were out before tea with Eckersley (29) well caught in the slips by Logan off Grundy and Redfern (33) nicking Rouse behind to Bullen.

The score was 89-3 at the interval and Wells and Pinner played beautifully in the evening session. Wells was first to 50 from just 49 balls, including eight fours and two sixes that moved him from 42 to 54.

The duo shared 86 before Wells was superbly caught and bowled by Chris Harwood. Pinner then went on the offensive and Hill (15*) offered useful support in an unbroken 64-run alliance. Playing conditions on Friday will be similar to today – just with Leicestershire batting first in the morning.