Running Foxes Take Slender Lead Into Final Day

The Running Foxes toiled on the third day at Sophia Gardens, taking a slender 41-run lead into the final day with three second innings wickets intact.

Hassan Azad scored his second century of the game, but wickets fell around him, as Paul Nixon’s side reached stumps on 158-7.

Earlier, Leicestershire exerted their best spell of control with the ball, arguably of the season, as only one boundary eventuated off the bat in a penurious first hour.

That economical hour was largely thanks to Chris Wright and Beuran Hendricks. The former found plenty of away movement, while the latter claimed the sole wicket of the first half of the morning, trapping Andy Gorvin LBW for his overnight score of 23.

Hendricks, in his most threatening spell in Running Foxes colours, almost had a second, as back-to-back deliveries struck Michael Neser’s pads, the first resulting in a brief incredulous stare back at the umpire from the South African.

His compatriot Wiaan Mulder was equally luckless at times. Neser had two near misses off the all-rounder’s bowling, leaving an in-swinger that shaved the top of his off stump, before almost dragging on with the next ball.

Captain Callum Parkinson picked up the second wicket of the session. A wonderfully pitched delivery turned away from Chris Cooke and dislodged the off stump. Lunch arriving shortly after on 389-7.

Mulder’s luck changed for the better post-resumption. Firstly, he tempted Neser to cut behind to Kimber for 29, before an absolute beauty swung away and wrapped James Harris on the pads to earn the overseas star a second.

Ben Mike concluded the innings, as James Weighell pulled straight to Azad. Glamorgan all out for 437. Leicestershire 117 runs in arrears.

The first Running Foxes wicket fell in frustrating fashion. Sam Evans (5) strangled down the leg side as he attempted to glance Michael Hogan away, but was caught brilliantly by Cooke.

A beauty from Neser managed to rid of first innings top-scorer Rishi Patel soon after. A ball that swung away at the eleventh hour induced a thin outside edge from the number three. Leicestershire left in deep trouble at 15-2.

Azad and Louis Kimber steadied the ship, accumulating a 50 partnership with a mixture of well-timed drives and carefully judged leaves. Tea taken on 76-2.

Neser delivered another pearler to dismiss the latter after the restart. The Australian overseas bowler got one to nip back in and beat Kimber's forward defence, squirming between bat and pad to see off County’s number four for 37.

Azad, who was looking assured in both his temperament and technique, passed 50 for the second time in the match via a couple off Gorvin. His third of the season to go with his game-saving century against Worcestershire.

But he lost partner Mulder (6) shortly after to David Lloyd. Bowling for his first time in the match, the Glamorgan skipper got one to spit up and surprise Mulder, who could only divert to Cooke behind the stumps.

However, arguably the biggest blow came when opener Azad flashed at a wide delivery from Lloyd and subsequently edged behind to Marnus Labuschagne, who took a very sharp reaction catch in the cordon.

Scott Steel was the next man to depart. The all-rounder whipped Neser away to the ropes, however, the Australian bowler sought his revenge the following ball, pinning Steel leg before on 18.

Harry Swindells and Ben Mike looked to be guiding the side to stumps six down, but the former was removed with what proved to be the final ball of the day. The Leicestershire wicketkeeper (20) shouldered arms to one from Weighell that jagged back sharply and removed the bails from their perch.

Mike not out on 10 at the close. The Running Foxes 158-7, leading by 41.

Play resumes for the final day at 11am.