Robson and Dexter in the runs

Leicestershire versus Glamorgan, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | Neil Dexter 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 | by Dan Middleton

Leicestershire will require nine wickets while Glamorgan need a further 170 runs to win the final Specsavers County Championship match of the 2016 season at the Fischer County Ground.

County were 123-0 and 198-2 at various points of their second innings as Neil Dexter and Angus Robson made scores in the 70s but Glamorgan hit back to dismiss the team for 283.

That left a victory target of 181 and Dieter Klein struck before bad light brought a premature end to proceedings, Glamorgan closing at 11-1 in their second innings.

The second day here at the Fischer County Ground started with Leicestershire resuming 25 in arrears with all ten second wickets remaining after what was an eventful first day of Specsavers County Championship action. 

Paul Horton and Robson resumed with the score at 78-0 and put on another 45 runs. Robson reached a ninth competition half-century of the summer from 80 deliveries; it arrived courtesy of a sixth four, all of which came through the off-side. 

Good work by the openers restored parity and they went on to put County 20 runs ahead but Craig Meschede, who had beat the bat on a number of occasions by moving the ball both ways, made the key breakthrough. Horton battled to 41 from 118 balls before nicking the seamer to Nick Selman at second slip with the score at 121.

Rain then stopped play at around 11.50am and after a brief delay, Robson fell for a valiant 72, edging Lukas Carey to Nick Selman at first slip. 

This left Leicestershire at 123-2 but Dexter and skipper Mark Cosgrove added another 21 runs to the total, meaning the Foxes ended the morning session on day two at 144-2.

Dexter continued to bat nicely through the afternoon session and extended his third wicket alliance with Cosgrove to 75 as Leicestershire progressed to 198-2.

Cosgrove (36) played some fluent strikes all around the wicket but lost his off stump to a full ball from the impressive Meschede, a wicket that sparked the visitors into life. 

County soon slipped to 222-5 as Ned Eckersley (12) drove Michael Hogan straight to Owen Morgan at square leg and Mark Pettini (1) dragged a short van der Gugten delivery on to his stumps.

Dexter reached his half-century off 99 balls in a landmark that contained seven fours, five of which were sent crashing through the off-side courtesy of strong drives and cuts. 

Harry Dearden battled to make 16 but was trapped lbw as van der Gugten returned to take the new ball, County going to tea with a lead of 158 at 261-6 with Dexter still there on 63 and Clint McKay 4 not out.

Leicestershire were looking for an advantage of at least 250 but it didn’t materialise as Hogan and van der Gugten were in fine fettle.

McKay was dismissed by the dangerous van der Gugten, lbw for 10 while Hogan took two wickets in two balls, taking a caught and bowled to end Raine’s innings for 6 before trapping Klein lbw first ball.

It left Leicestershire at 283-9 and that score wasn’t to be added to,  Dexter’s fine innings of 73 coming to an end in the middle of the very next over, bowled by van der Gugten off an inside edge. The Netherlands international had been a thorn in County’s side, taking nine wickets in the match.

With the sky becoming darker, Glamorgan came out to bat with captain Jacques Rudolph opening up alongside Selman. However the latter was dismissed by a superb in-swinging delivery from Klein and was leg before for two. Glamorgan were now 4-1 in the fifth over, the exact response Leicestershire needed.

However, only an over later, play was suspended due to bad light at the Fischer County Ground with 14.2 overs remaining in the day. The players were not to return so this intriguing game remains well-poised going into day three.

Bowling figures for Leicestershire: Klein 4-1-3-1, McKay 2.4-2-7-0.