Resilient Robson keeps County in front

An audio interview with Angus Robson with BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae is available here

Angus Robson struck a gutsy, disciplined century as Leicestershire kept themselves in a good position in the LV=County Championship match at Essex.

The opener was ninth out, edging the economical Jesse Ryder to Nick Browne at slip, after making a career best 120 out of a first innings total of 280. To put the innings into context, no other batsman has recorded 50 in a match dominated by the seamers so far.

Robson’s heroics helped Leicestershire earn a first innings lead of 114 and he then watched his new ball bowlers remove both Essex openers before the close.

Essex finished the second day on 43 for 2, still 72 behind, with Tom Westley and Ravi Bopara at the crease.

Robson shared in an opening stand of 58 with Matthew Boyce but his most productive partnership was for the eighth wicket with Clint McKay, who adopted a carefree approach while contributing 45 in a stand of 74 in 16 overs.

The opening batsman showed immense concentration during his marathon effort against an Essex attack that picked up wickets at regular intervals. The pitch continued to assist the seamers, although it did not pose the sort of problems experienced on the opening day.

Fast bowler Jamie Porter (18.5-3-69-3) had Boyce (21) caught by Ryder before later trapping Mark Cosgrove (24) leg before. New Zealander Ryder (22-7-42-2) bowled Leicestershire’s leading scorer Ned Eckersley (18) with a fine delivery between those wickets.

County passed the 150 mark only three wickets down but then slipped to 170-6 as Graham Napier (19-4-62-3) produced a devastating 21-ball spell in which he picked up the wickets of Andrea Agathangelou (1), Lewis Hill (2) and Ben Raine (1) courtesy of catches in the cordon while conceding only seven runs.

But those setbacks did not ruffle Robson who occasionally broke from his watchful defence to produce several sweetly-timed strokes either side of the wicket.

The seventh wicket was claimed by debutant Aron Nijjar, the left-arm spinner having Tom Wells (14) caught in the covers. Leicestershire were only 34 ahead at that stage but McKay made a score in the forties for the fourth time this term. His aggressive but controlled 45 came from only 59 balls with the help of six fours and a six before he was bowled by Bopara.

Robson and Charlie Shreck, who nicked Porter to Foster without scoring, then fell in quick succession as Leicestershire’s innings came to its conclusion.

Essex soon ran into trouble when they went in again. Browne was caught at mid-wicket by Boyce off McKay (5-3-9-1) for two, and soon afterwards, Jaik Mickleburgh played on to Raine (6-3-9-1) who had claimed a career-best five-wicket haul on the opening day.

That left Essex in serious trouble at 16 for 2 but Westley and Bopara steered clear of further trouble before stumps.