Seconds bowlers stick to their task
Tue 7 Jun 2016
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
After a break of two weeks, Leicestershire Second XI was back in action again for a Championship game against Nottinghamshire at Hinckley Town/CCA.
A perfect summer’s day greeted us upon our arrival at the ground. It was a welcome change for most of the players having been out in the cold this season for longer than Scott of the Antarctic.
The scorebox was somewhat heavily populated. The lady who scores for Nottinghamshire was accompanied by her husband, and Hinckley Town/CCA provide a scorer to manually operate the numbers.
The aforementioned scorer was accompanied for the day by his dog. A menacing looking Staffordshire bull terrier that makes the ‘Churchill’ dog look like a French poodle. I am thinking of arriving at 7.30am for day two to ensure that I get a seat in there.
Ned Eckersley skippering County, won the toss, and chose to field. There were a decent number of spectators present when play got underway. County had the better of the morning session, restricting Nottinghamshire to 103-3 at lunch from 33 overs.
The batsmen out were Jake Libby (11), caught down the leg side by keeper Eckersley off left arm seamer Matt Wareing, Joe Barrett (26), caught in the gully by Matt McKiernan again off Wareing and Will Root (8), went caught at slip by Harry Dearden off right arm paceman Chad Barrett.
At lunch Dan Hodgson 23* and Anuj Dal 7* were the not out batsmen. Whilst at the crease Hodgson took a nasty knock on the helmet from Atif Sheikh to a ball that he appeared to duck into, and play was held up for several minutes whilst Hodgson recovered his composure.
County then had somewhat of a ‘dog day afternoon session’ between lunch and tea, picking up just one wicket. Hodgson went to his half-century (6x4/94 balls), taking the score to 146-3. Hodgson and Dal posted a 100 partnership from 155 balls, and then increased their alliance to 150 from 232 balls.
Eckersley was rotating his bowlers, and they stuck to the task well. Dal moved to his half-century (3x4/98 balls). Soon afterwards his innings came to an end, on 54, when he was caught at slip by Dearden off Rob Sayer.
During the afternoon session Hodgson took another blow on the helmet from Sheikh who was working up a rapid pace. Nottinghamshire went into tea on 254-4 from 72 overs. Hodgson 91*, Tom Moores 12*.
Just after tea Hodgson’s gritty knock came to an end when he was caught at short cover by Sayer off Will Wright, leaving Nottinghamshire on 269-5. A gutsy knock from the Yorkshireman to soldier on after two fierce blows on the helmet .Hopefully his namesake will show the same application at the upcoming Euros.
County then proceeded to pick up a few wickets but wicket-keeper Moores was building an eye catching innings. Ashraf (8) went bowled by Barrett just after the new ball had been taken. The faithful hound in our Scorebox pricked up his ears when I mentioned a new ball.
Patterson-White (8) was bowled by Sheikh, and then developed a stubborn little partnership of 43 between Moores and Ben Kitt. Moores moved to his 50 (9x4/70 balls) after 92.3 overs. Kitt (24) was bowled by leg spinner Matt McKiernan leaving Nottinghamshire on 355-8.
Joe Blatherwick (1) fell lbw to McKiernan and the Nottinghamshire innings came to a close off the penultimate ball of the day’s play, Hodnett (9) being run out at the non striker’s end when returning for a second run. An excellent throw from the long-off boundary by Wright to McKiernan who whipped off the bails.
Nottinghamshire were all out for 397, a long day in the field for the County bowlers who kept plugging away in the hot weather. Nottinghamshire took 4 batting points and Leicestershire 4 bowling points.
