SEC v Northamptonshire CCC 2nd XI Day Three Report

Yet another overcast, and chilly morning greeted us when we arrived at Desborough Town CC for Day 3 of the SEC game between Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.

We had a bumper attendance today with some 40 or more spectators neatly assembled around the boundary, adjacent to the car park, in a variety of garden chairs. Spectators were also sprinkled around the ‘Field End’ of the ground.

Leicestershire had an excellent day with both bat, and ball. County taking a first innings lead of 35 over their hosts, thanks to Lewis Hill (84), who was well supported by Nat Bowley (26), the tail gently wagging as well.

Northamptonshire were reduced to 137-7 at stumps, leading by 102 runs, with three wickets in hand, going into the final day. All seven bowlers used by Leicestershire contributing to a fine all round team effort on the day.

Leicestershire resumed from their overnight 248 for four, Lewis Hill 27 not out, Sam Bates 8 not out.

72 overs had been bowled in Leicestershire’s first Innings, so the new ball would be available after a further eight overs’ play this morning.

In the fourth over of the morning, Bates (11) was trapped in front by left arm Freddie Heldreich, a purveyor of Chinamen.

Nat Bowley joined Hill, and the pair forged a useful, and crucial partnership. Hill went to his 50 (5x4) 71b when he pushed seamer Gus Miller for a single into the offside, taking the score to 277 for 5 from 78.4 overs.

Northamptonshire took the new ball when it immediately became available. Hill and Bowley brought up their 50 partnership when Bowley took a quick single off left arm paceman Henry Warren, and was the beneficiary of five runs, as a shy at the stumps resulted in four overthrows.

Hill was in imperious form taking boundaries off three of the Northamptonshire seamers during the ‘early life’ of the new ball. Hill’s (84) 108b innings came to an end when a delivery from Gus Miller got big on him, and he gloved a catch to keeper Harry Gouldstone. Leicestershire 341 for 6 from 91.4 overs.

Hill, when he hangs up his boots, should take up golf, as he never misses the cut! The Lutterworth Legend having a somewhat stellar season with the bat.

Bowley was playing a very responsible innings diligently protecting his wicket. Roman Walker joined Bowley. The pair had added a further 12 runs when Bowley (26) 62b was caught behind by Gouldstone off Heldreich. Another victim to the mysteries of the rarely seen Chinaman.

Leicestershire on 351 for 7 from 98.3 overs.

Gavin Griffiths joined Walker, and the pace bowling pair kept the board ticking over entirely in singles, whilst soaking up a host of dot balls. Miller bowled a miserly spell of seven overs for 10 runs just before lunch.

Miller was certainly In the Mood (one for my readers of a certain age to decipher there!).

Walker (13) 42b was out in the last over before lunch, caught at second slip by Emilio Gay off seamer Ethan Rice. Gay possibly heard through the grapevine that lunch was about to be served!

You can’t beat a bit of Tamla Motown. Leicestershire into Lunch on 363 for eight from 105.5 overs, Griffiths (4*) 28b.

My fellow scorer the ubiquitous Quentin LS Jones Esq., had brought in an industrial sized Tupperware box full of sherbert lemons, which we eagerly consumed over days 1 and 2.

We had devoured them at a rate of round about 3 an hour. On day 3 Quentin brought in two large bags of fruit pastels, it was the food consumption equivalent of a Twenty20 eating them, as we were gobbling up them up at a rate of over 6 an hour. 

Back to the cricket.

Alex Evans joined Griffiths after lunch, the blond haired Bedfordian smoking a brace of boundaries off Miller, and one off George Gowler in the space of six balls. Griffiths also taking a boundary off Miller.

Griffiths (11) 46b went caught behind by Gouldstone off Gowler. Five victims in the innings for the Northamptonshire keeper. Leicestershire’s innings then quickly came to an end when Abidine Sakande (0) 9b was bowled by Gowler. Evans (13*) 26b. Leicestershire 383 all out, from 114.4 overs a lead of 35 runs.

Ben Curran and Emilio Gay opened up for Northamptonshire, and Gay was spilled in the slip cordon from the first ball he received from Abidine Sakande. I won’t name the errant fielder, but he has got a bagful of initials in front of his name.

The openers had added 39 runs when Gay (18) 40b was trapped in front by Sakande.

Five overs later, Curran (28) 55b clipped Roman Walker straight to Bowley at mid-wicket, who held on to the sharp chance. The Wrexham Wrecker returning a tidy spell of 1-10 from six overs. (Stuck the word tidy in, as it is often used in Gavin and Stacey, so it should help to make the Welsh Roman Emperor feel at home!)

Northamptonshire 53 for two from 18.4 overs.

Charlie Thurston (4*) 25b and Harry Gouldstone (1*) 6b took Northants into tea on 54 for 2 from 21 overs. In the fifth over after tea, Thurston (8) 37b went lbw to Bowley.

Eight overs later Gouldstone was expertly caught, one handed, by keeper Sam Bates, again off Bowley. Northamptonshire 76-4 from 33.5 overs.

Griffiths bowling in tandem with the spinner bowled an excellent spell, 8-4-9-0, with no luck whatsoever, the batsmen playing, and missing on countless occasions. Bowley also bowled a super spell 13-4-23-2.

A good day at the Office for Bowley with the ball, as earlier in the day he had been ‘Nat the Bat’.

James Cronie and James Sales occupied the crease for some 13 overs until Sales (16) 46b was caught in the gully, nonchalantly, by Sakande off Uday Modhwadia.

Anyone of shorter stature fielding in the gully at the time would have seen the ball whistle over their head. Northants 107 for 5 from 46.4 overs.

First innings top scorer, Gus Miller hung around for 7 overs, but was bowled by a yorker from Sakande. Miller (14) 20b. Northamptonshire 132 for 6 from 53.2.

During the final few overs of the day, we were briefly serenaded by the scream, squawk, and honk of a peacock domiciled in the nearby West Lodge Farm Park.

George Rhodes brought himself onto bowl for the final few overs and got a Brucie Bonus when Cronie (28) 81b steered one into the hands of Lewis Hill at backward short leg.

If you are at the crease you certainly don’t get the holiday feeling when seeing Rhodes. Northants 13-7 from 56.3 overs.

Ethan Rice (38) 24b, and Harry Warren (18) 5b saw out the remaining nine balls, and the hosts closed on 137 for 7, from 59 overs, leading by 102 runs. Northamptonshire 5 points, Leicestershire 7 points.

By Pete Johnson