Robson: "The club is on the up"

Angus Robson feels that the club is in a good position to take “big strides forward” after penning a new two-year contract at Grace Road earlier this week.

The 23-year-old opener was the only Leicestershire batsman to reach the 1,000 mark in first-class cricket last season and is in good shape to reach four figures again having scored 826 at 34.41 with five matches to go.

Robson played a key role in the club’s LV=CC victory at Essex with scores of 120 and 71 and feels that more victories are not too far away.

He said: “It’s been a big year for the club in getting new players and coaching staff and I think that the club is on the way up. It’s all positive from my end and I’m looking forward to moving ahead with the club. It’s a big vote of confidence in the club seeing all of the players recently re-signed.

“Right from the start of the year getting in (Chief Executive) Wasim Khan and (Head Coach) Andrew McDonald, and players like Clint McKay and Mark Cosgrove has given the club a big boost.

“The results haven’t shown it yet but the performances have been a lot better than they have been in the past. We are very close to turning the corner and making big strides forward.”

It’s already been a good season for Robson but the Leicestershire opener is not one to rest on his laurels. Robson is already looking ahead to how he can improve and is keen to make his mark in white ball cricket.

The batsman put himself in prime position to open in the Royal London One Day Cup having posted an assured half-century against New Zealand in June and fulfilled that role in the Royal London One Day Cup match at Northamptonshire.

“I want to do well in one-day cricket as well as four-day cricket,” said Robson. “I’ve been given the chance to open the batting in one-day cricket and hopefully I can take my opportunity and the team does well.

“I am very keen to get as much as I can out of my game. If I can finish well this season then I can get beyond 1,000 runs, so I am looking to keep getting stuck in and hopefully post a couple more hundreds and better what I did last year in red ball cricket.

“I’m pretty happy with where I am at. I’ve probably tailed off in the last few weeks compared to the start of the year but I feel that I am in a good place with my batting and I’m ready to improve.

“Every game is important and the next twelve months are a big part of my career. I feel that I’m at the right place to make improvements as I have good support here.”

Robson will be looking to set a platform for Leicestershire in the next few Royal London One Day Cup games, starting against Gloucestershire at Grace Road tomorrow (10.30am start).

The Foxes suffered a disappointing 55-run defeat at Northants yesterday but will need to bounce back quickly as they face four more RLODC games in the next seven days.

Robson is part of a 13-man squad for the visit of a Gloucestershire side that had a final ball win against Derbyshire at Bristol in their last outing. Atif Sheikh comes in for Jigar Naik in the only change to the squad that travelled to Wantage Road.

The away side have plenty of all-rounders including dangerous duo Benny Howell and Jack Taylor, who were at the wicket at the end of their thrilling victory yesterday.

Gloucestershire are captained by a man in terrific one-day form. Michael Klinger scored three centuries in NatWest T20 Blast and has been a thorn in Leicestershire’s side in the past.

Foxes (from): Cosgrove (capt), Ali, Burgess, Eckersley, McKay, O'Brien, Raine, Robson, Sayer, Sheikh, Shreck, Taylor, Wells.