Running Foxes respond with ball in hand

DAY ONE | Leicestershire CCC 233 v Somerset CCC 53 for three

SCORECARD | Available HERE

REPORT | Lewis Hill claimed a fourth successive half-century as he top-scored for a Leicestershire batting line-up that failed to impress on a sun-soaked day one.

The Running Foxes claim three early wickets as they respond strongly with the ball in hand to set up an intriguing day two.

Day one from the Uptonsteel County Ground got underway under glorious sunshine as captain Colin Ackermann won the toss and opted to bat for the second game running.

The main piece of news coming out of the Leicestershire camp was that opening batsman, and centurion against Surrey CCC, Sam Evans was replaced by overseas batsman Marcus Harris.

It was not a straight swap though, as Head Coach Paul Nixon’s decision was made a whole lot easier after Evans failed a concussion test following a blow to the head he received during the draw at the Oval.

The first hour of the game had passed and the duo of Azad (19*) and Harris (19*) were looking a tough wicket to claim for the visitors.

However, minutes later and Somerset had made the breakthrough and broke up what was beginning to look like a useful partnership, as Harris (19) chopped on to his own stumps with a bottom edge off the bowling of Lewis Gregory.

The Running Foxes overseas batsman made way for 19 has Harry Dearden joined Azad at the crease, with Leicestershire on 40 for one.

Dearden’s stint at the crease lasted 18 minutes as he was adjudged to have been pinned lbw by Gregory for 7, from a delivery that looked to be shaping outside of the line.

The Running Foxes number 5 though, made way for his skipper as Colin Ackermann joined Azad (28*) in the middle.

County lost their third and fourth wickets minutes before the lunch break as Ackermann was pinned infront by Marchant de Lange for 4, and then Azad top-edged a Tom Abell delivery through to Davies for 36.

The lunch break came with Lewis Hill and Harry Swindells at the crease with Leicestershire sitting on 68 for four following a flurry of wickets as the visitors grabbed the initiative.

Only three overs of the afternoon had passed before the Running Foxes had lost their fifth wicket.

Craig Overton delivered a bouncer to Swindells (1) who tried to get out of the way but in doing so, deflected the ball to second slip. The catch was failed to be taken at the first time of asking, though, as second slip fumbled the ball to James Hildreth at first slip who had to have three chances to take the grab himself.

With some fortune about it, Somerset claimed their fifth wicket of the day as Ben Mike made his way to the crease with County on 74 for five.

Mike came in and weathered the storm from the Somerset seam attack, along with Lewis Hill as the duo went on to put on a useful partnership for the Running Foxes.

With the sun beating down on the Uptonsteel County Ground turf, the pitch was fast becoming one for the batsmen, as highlighted by the increase of boundaries played by both men at the crease.

The partnership exceeded 50 runs in what was the most fruitful of the day so far, before Somerset called on their international spinner, Jack Leach, whose inclusion immediately paid dividends.

With his first ball of the day, Leach pinned Mike infront for 26 as Callum Parkinson joined Hill (36*) in the middle, with County on 133 for six.

Parkinson found his first boundary of the day from his second over faced, as he looked to partnership Hill to yet another half-century of the campaign.

The fifty was soon brought up, from 99 balls and included nine fours. The fifty was the fourth consecutive half-century of the season for Hill as he continued his impressive form.

The final ball of the next over brought up tea for County as they entered the interval on a much improved 167 for six, though, the final four wickets of the innings still had a lot of work to do.

Hill’s involvement in the final session of the day lasted less than six overs as the batsman looped up and Overton delivery to Tom Banton, stood at short mid-wicket, who took the easy catch. Hill departed for 68.

His replacement, Chris Wright (4), came in and got his innings underway with a boundary off Overton.

Tom Lammonby, though, avenged his teammate as he swung his left-arm delivery back into his fellow seamer and cracked his off-stump.

County were 185 for eight as Dieter Klein joined Parkinson (9*) in the middle.

Leicestershire then earned their first batting point of the contest, courtesy of a no ball and four byes off de Lange.

The ninth wicket partnership could not see the Running Foxes through to their second batting point, though, as Klein fell to the bowling of Leach for 12, after the left-arm spinner snook one through the gate to crash into the German international’s off-stump.

Gavin Griffiths joined Parkinson (20*) in the middle to form the final first innings wicket for Leicestershire, with the Running Foxes sitting on 213 for nine.

The partnership posted 20 runs before the Running Foxes’ innings came to an end as Griffiths (12) feathered an Overton delivery through to Davies.

Callum Parkinson finished the man not out for Leicestershire on 27 as County posted 233.

Tom Banton and Tom Lammonby opened the batting for the visitors as Chris Wright took the cherry for County, bowling from the Bennett End.

The visitors got off to an impressive after posting 17 runs from the first over of the innings.

Soon though, not one but both openers were back in the pavilion after wickets from Chris Wright and Dieter Klein.

Tom Lammonby, who is fresh off four successive first-class ducks broke that unwanted record, but not by much.

The batsman decided not to play at Wright’s delivery which shaped back in and crashed into the opener’s pad, as he was replaced by skipper Tom Abell for eight.

One ball later, and Lammonby was joined by his opening partner, Tom Banton, as he fell victim to the bowling of Klein.

The left-arm paceman delivered a mirror image of Wright’s ball that dismissed Lammonby, as he got one to shape back in and crash into the batsman’s front pad who was dismissed for 15.

The Running Foxes got off to an ideal start as Tom Abell and James Hildreth occupied the crease much earlier than they would have liked, with Somerset on 25 for two.

The latter’s stint at the crease only yielded five runs as Klein claimed his second of the day.

The batsman top-edged Klein’s off-side delivery straight to the hands of Colin Ackermann who took the grab down low.

Leicestershire built on their good start as Jack Leach emerged as Somerset’s nightwatchmen with the visitors on 39 for three.

The partnership of Leach and Abell successfully navigated the remaining four overs of the day to send Somerset into stumps on 53 for three.

FIGURES (1st inns) | Overton 17.4-9-39-3, Davey 12-2-36-0, Gregory 13-3-39-2, de Lange 14-3-41-1, Abell 9-4-26-1, Lammonby 10-2-20-1, Leach 7-1-23-2

Wright 6-2-29-1, Klein 5-0-24-2

TEAM | Hassan Azad, Sam Evans, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (C), Lewis Hill, Harry Swindells (wk), Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Chris Wright, Dieter Klein, Gavin Griffiths.

SOMERSET CCC | Tom Lammonby, Tom Banton, Tom Abell (C), James Hildreth, George Bartlett, Steve Davies (wk), Craig Overton, Lewis Gregory, Marchant de Lange, Josh Davey, Jack Leach

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

MATCH SPONSOR | Thanks to energetics-energy for sponsoring round three of the 2021 LV= County Championship.