Robson and Cosgrove reach landmarks
Wed 16 Sep 2015
Angus Robson and Mark Cosgrove posted half-centuries and moved beyond 1,000 first-class runs for the season as the LV=CC game against Essex finally got underway on the third day.
Leicestershire moved to 222-5 in the 60.1 overs of play that were possible as Cosgrove (94) shared successive partnerships of 94 with Robson (50) and 99 with Aadil Ali (33 not out).
The groundstaff did a marvellous job to get the ground ready after more overnight rain, and umpires Steve Garratt and Graham Lloyd declared that conditions were fit for a prompt start.
Essex had won the toss yesterday and invited Leicestershire to bat so openers Ned Eckersley and Robson made their way to the middle at 10.30am.
Eckersley hit a couple of nicely timed boundaries but then nicked Jesse Ryder through to James Foster having made 13. Dan Redfern (0) also fell victim to that partnership but in different fashion, the ‘keeper taking a brilliant one-handed effort as the left-hander flicked one down the leg-side.
Cosgrove looked in good touch from the off, four terrific strokes down the ground all racing to the boundary. The partnership passed 50 before Robson, who started the day requiring 29 to move into four figures, reached the landmark for the second season running with a trademark cut to the fence.
The Leicestershire 100 came up as Robson clipped Graham Napier for four and a further boundary in the 29th over, driven exquisitely through extra cover, brought the opener an 88-ball half-century.
County went to lunch at 117-2 with Robson, who found the boundary nine times in moving to 50, and Cosgrove (40) having shared 90. The break allowed Essex to regroup and the opener departed in the second over of the afternoon session without adding to his score. Robson edged a defensive stroke and was caught at slip by Dan Lawrence off Ravi Bopara.
Cosgrove took his boundary tally into double figures with two consecutive leg-side shots that were struck with real authority, the second of which took him through to a 79-ball half-century.
The captain went on to record 1,000 first-class runs for the season with the 68th run of the innings, moving to the milestone courtesy of a booming cover drive that hit the advertising boards before anybody had blinked.
The players left the field shortly afterwards because of bad light with the score at 141-3 after 47.3 overs. Tea was taken shortly afterwards at 2.40pm and the light was good enough for a 3pm resumption and runs arrived at pace.
Ali had scored 7 off his first 42 balls in getting settled before taking 12 runs from four successive Bopara deliveries. The final act of the scoring quartet was a well-timed square drive to the ropes that recorded the 50 partnership.
Cosgrove then found the fence four times in the space of ten deliveries and a three from Ali ensured Leicestershire banked their first batting point in the 56th over. The light then closed in again and the players came off just after 3.30pm.
Play was able to resume an hour later and Cosgrove was six short of his century when edging an attempted drive off Ryder to Tom Westley at second slip. Niall O’Brien followed two balls later, snicking the New Zealander through to Foster.
The players again left the field because of the gloom at the start of the next over to leave the hard-working Ryder, who bowled throughout the morning session, with fine figures of 4-77.
* Thanks to Ed Melia for the fantastic photo of Mark Cosgrove hitting a boundary today.
