Seamers to the fore

Leicestershire versus Worcestershire, Specsavers County Championship, Day 2:

SCORECARD | Available through ESPN Cricinfo HERE

INTERVIEW | An interview with Clint McKay by BBC Radio Leicester's Richard Rae is available HERE

HIGHLIGHTS | The highlights of the second day's play are available HERE

Leicestershire's seamers produced a good performance to share eight wickets after an initial Worcestershire fightback at the Fischer County Ground.

The match has taken the same path of the last Specsavers County Championship encounter against Northants as the bowlers took the day two honours after the batsmen were on top on the first day.

Fourteen wickets fell for the addition of 312 runs today, Worcestershire closing 67 behind on 249-8 in reply to Leicestershire's 316 all out.

Joe Leach did the damage for Worcestershire with 5-17 off 7.1 overs on the second morning before Clint McKay, Neil Dexter, Charlie Shreck and Ben Raine each took two wickets for the Foxes.

Leicestershire resumed on 253-4 with Pettini and O'Brien on 45 and 1 respectively and the visiting seamers gave the team plenty to think about as they did throughout the first day.

The difference this time was that the Pears enjoyed success in the opening session, taking all of the remaining wickets for the addition of 63 runs. 

Pettini struck the eighth boundary of his innings but fell one short of a milestone when the new ball was taken in the 87th over, the number five batsman being caught at second slip by Daryl Mitchell off Leach.

The Foxes lost their other overnight batter when O'Brien also perished to Leach for 13, this time to the fourth leg before dismissal of the innings.

Young duo Aadil Ali and Tom Wells came together and shared 43 for the seventh wicket to get Leicestershire back on track.

Life wasn't plain sailing; Wells nicked Henry for four after one dropped just short of Mitchell but they worked hard to get themselves in and played some nice strokes. Wells hit a lovely drive through mid-on to pick up four while Ali produced a cover drive and late cut that went to the boundary. 

Just as the Foxes looked to be back on track, three wickets fell with the score on 311. Wells (18) was caught at second slip by Mitchell off Shantry while Ali (21) feathered the returning Leach through to Ben Cox and McKay nicked the seamer to Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip.

The innings was ended by Leach, who completed his five-for as Raine dragged on to his stumps at the start of the 107th over.

Mitchell struck a four through extra in the opening over before Raine almost gave Leicestershire a huge boost. D'Oliveira has been in great touch but edged his very first delivery on this occasion and Dexter put down the chance at third slip.

Worcestershire went to lunch at 6-0 from three overs and there were four successive maidens after the interval. The pressure nearly told; D'Oliveira survived another edge to third slip as Dexter couldn't cling on, this time off McKay.

The ball ran away for two to take the visitors to just 11-0 after 9 overs but the score then more than doubled in the next over. D'Oliveira hit two sweetly struck fours either side of cover point and picked up a single while Mitchell also clipped a three and sent a lovely cover drive to the boundary.

D'Oliveira and Mitchell each hit cleanly through the off-side as the pair recorded the 50 partnership but Dexter struck with the next ball - his second delivery - trapping the skipper in front for 25.

Number three Joe Clarke dealt purely in boundaries in his 16, including three rasping straight drives, but the Foxes picked up both in-form young batsmen in quick succession. Clarke nicked Shreck through to a diving O'Brien and Dexter then bowled D'Oliveira with a beauty to end his stay on 47 (76 balls, 6x4). 

Worcestershire were now at 94-3 and those wickets allowed Leicestershire to regain control. Only 17 runs were added in 8.3 overs before a fourth wicket was claimed, McKay trapping Alexei Kervezee (11) right in front with the score on Nelson. Tea was taken with Worcestershire at 119-4, Kohler-Cadmore on 14 and Ross Whiteley 2.

Kohler-Cadmore sent a drive through mid-on to record his third boundary after the interval but he lost another partner, the left-handed Whiteley leaving one from Shreck that came back a long way to disturb the top of off stump. 

Shreck was so unfortunate not to pick up further success, the seamer sending down jaffas to both Kohler-Cadmore and Cox but seeing the ball agonisingly miss the stumps on both occasions.

The duo put on 27 in taking the score to 153-5 before a stoppage for bad light. Cox took the lead, clipping away three deliveries off his pads to the ropes and also playing one superb cut that raced through point.

No overs were lost at that stage and Dexter, who caused difficulties throughout by moving the ball both ways from the Pavilion End, created another chance shortly after play resumed but Robson dropped Cox at second slip when on 21. The next two deliveries went for four to further frustrate the Foxes.

Cox then hit the first maximum of the innings, top edging an attempted pull off the unlucky Shreck down to fine leg. It took the stand to 54 with Cox having scored 40 of them.

Kohler-Cadmore played a delightful pull to record the first batting point but the complexion changed again with the wickets of the set batsmen in consecutive balls. Kohler-Cadmore (44) was pinned on the crease by Raine to end the stand of 77 and McKay bowled Cox (49) at the start of the following over.

That brought Leach and Henry together with neither having faced a ball, which was far from ideal for the visitors. Raine bowled Leach for 6 and the Pears were indebted to a useful unbroken stand of 34 between Henry and Shantry.

They enjoyed their fair share of luck; the New Zealander survived after edging high to Robson at second slip and both batsmen also chopped past their stumps. Henry then stylishly hit the final three balls of the day for four to ensure the Pears ended an intriguing day within touching distance of a second batting point.

Bowling figures: McKay 20-2-73-2, Raine 18-4-55-2, Shreck 16-3-61-2, Dexter 15-4-49-2, Ali 1-1-0-0.