Robson again in the runs at Chelmsford
Tue 21 Jun 2016
Essex versus Leicestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 3:
SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE
INTERVIEW | Angus Robson speaks to BBC Radio Leicester’s Richard Rae HERE
HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the third day are available HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire opener Angus Robson continued his fine record at Chelmsford but Essex hit back to claim a first innings lead in the Specsavers County Championship game.
After yesterday’s washout, the last Essex wicket put on just two more runs to finish on 268. Clint McKay took his fourth wicket of the innings at a personal cost of 47 in 16.3 overs.
Leicestershire reached 128-1 at one stage in the reply but lost the other nine first innings wickets for 115 runs in 43 overs to end on 243.
That the team got within 25 runs of Essex’s total was thanks largely to a 135-ball 74 by Robson, who has now scored 387 runs in five first-class innings at this ground at an average of 77.4.
Parsimonious bowling of David Masters and Ravi Bopara prevented Leicestershire from cashing in on Robson’s good work. Both bowlers claimed three wickets, Masters for just 33 runs from 19 overs, Bopara for 43 in 21 overs.
McKay then took his competition tally to 28 before stumps by bowling Nick Browne, Essex closing 47 ahead at 22-1.
It meant that the Australian seamer had the accolade of collecting the first and last wicket of an absorbing day. He struck with the 17th ball of the morning, sending two of Jamie Porter’s stumps cartwheeling to end the Essex first innings.
Robson then was part of two good partnerships before lunch as Leicestershire’s reply started solidly.
The 24-year-old shared 40 in 8.5 overs with Paul Horton, who struck four boundaries in 19 before being trapped lbw by Porter having struck four boundaries in 19.
Neil Dexter joined forces to positive effect with Robson before the interval. The opener struck consecutive fours off Matthew Quinn in the 15th over, the second of which took him to 2,500 first-class career runs.
Robson continued to look composed and compact as the 50 partnership came up off just 52 deliveries. He was eight away from a third Championship half-century of the season at lunch while Dexter moved to 23 with the score at 92-1.
The landmark, which included plenty of well-timed cover drives and cuts, was duly reached came from 82 deliveries and included seven fours.
County were making good progress but lost their way during the afternoon. Essex started the fightback by claiming three key wickets for the addition of 26 runs in a 12-over period.
Dexter (33) lost his off stump to Quinn while former Leicestershire seamer Masters picked up the wickets of Mark Cosgrove (11) and Robson, caught at second slip and by the wicket-keeper respectively.
Tom Westley, who snapped up Cosgrove, also held Aadil Ali (4) and Ned Eckersley (7) either side of tea off Ryan ten Doeschate and Bopara respectively.
Mark Pettini collected six fours in an attractive 36 on his return to Chelmsford before being rapped on the pads by Bopara and the England international then enticed Ben Raine (13) to become a third victim of the day for Foster.
Porter equalised his personal duel with McKay (4), who was enticed to drive to Dan Lawrence at point while Taylor was fell in that region for 16, becoming Bopara’s third victim.
Essex lost Browne in negotiating 11 tricky overs at the end but Jaik Mickleburgh (12 not out) and nightwatchman Quinn (1*) saw them through to the close.
Bowling figures for Leicestershire:
First innings: McKay 16.3-2-47-4, Raine 18-7-34-0, Shreck 21-3-79-4, Taylor 18-4-63-0, Dexter 10-2-23-1, Cosgrove 3-0-5-1.
Second innings: McKay 5-2-9-1, Raine 5-1-12-0, Dexter 1-1-0-0.
