Running Foxes make hay under day one sunshine in Derbyshire

DAY ONE | Derbyshire CCC v Leicestershire CCC 282 for three

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REPORT | Leicestershire batsmen were defiant on day one with half centuries from George Rhodes, Sam Evans and Lewis Hill to take them to 282 for three against Derbyshire CCC at the Incora County Ground.

The Running Foxes travelled to Derbyshire for their second Division Three fixture of the 2021 LV= County Championship campaign.

Leicestershire - who were without captain Colin Ackermann - won the toss in the East Midlands and opted to bat with the forecast predicting lots of sunshine over the course of the next four days. Callum Parkinson came in to skipper the the Running Foxes for the second time this season.

It was a steady start to day one with Hassan Azad and Sam Evans opening the batting in particularly composed fashion, facing the opening attack of Sam Connors and Ben Aitchison. 

The duo built a partnership of fifty in the 16th over, but could only record as many 52 between them as the breakthrough wicket for the hosts was claimed in the very next over. Azad was dismissed for 25 caught by Madsen off the bowling of Aitchison.

George Rhodes came into the middle and the pair stemmed any oncoming tide from Derbyshire, and successfully entered lunch on 87 for one.

The score moved to 100 in the 36th over following Rhodes’ sixth four of the day. The same batsman soon moved to 44 runs, taking him over the 1,000 career first-class runs mark.

Rhodes then added another two boundaries to his score to achieve his first half-century of the season, off 75 balls. His stint lasted just under five further overs, and just four further runs as was bowled by Critchley for 54.

Lewis Hill joined Sam Evans and the pair brought up 150 runs after just 10 overs together.

Evans then went on to bring up his half century - just before tea - from 174 balls, including three fours. At tea, Leicestershire were 176 for two.

The Running Foxes pair came out for the third session with real intent and quickly moved to put 200 runs on the board after 72 overs.

Hill then joined Rhodes and Evans in achieving his half-century, coming from 71 balls, including six fours.

Derbyshire opted to take the new ball at the earliest possible chance as they continued to search for their third wicket, with Evans on 80 and Hill on 53.

Just six overs later and the pair drove the score to 250. Wayne Madsen then spurned a number of chances to see Evans off, after two drops in the slips.

The dropped chances did not hurt the hosts too much, though, as the wicket of Evans (88) finally came after Moulton found his edge Guest took the catch behind with 4.1 overs remaining the day.

Leicestershire sent out Chris Wright as the nightwatchman, and scenario that the seamer had faced many times in his career before. The Foxes man was not fazed by his position and cracked two quick boundaries in the 94th over, off the bowling of Moulton.

The remaining two overs of the day were successfully navigated by the fourth wicket partnership, with day one coming to a close with the Running Foxes on 282 for three, led by Hill (86*), accompanied by Wright (13*).

FIGURES (1st inns) | Conners 18-5-53-0, Aitchison 19-4-46-1, Moulton 13-3-47-1, Critchley 24-1-65-1, Dal 11-3-34-0, Thomson 11-2-25-0

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, George Rhodes, Lewis Hill, Louis Kimber, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson (C), Ed Barnes, Chris Wright, Will Davis.

DERBYSHIRE CCC | Billy Godleman (C), Tom Wood, Leus Du Plooy, Wayne Madsen, Brooke Guest (wk), Matt Critchley, Alex Thomson, Anuj Dal, Ben Aitchison, Sam Conners, Ed Moulton.

IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.