Seconds take lead of 128 into final day
Wed 20 Jul 2016
REPORT | By Pete Johnson
We arrived at Desborough Town CC for Day 2 of this SEC encounter to be greeted by another searing hot day. It looked as though it would be El Scorchio for those on the field of play, but Messr Heath Robinson have ensured that the faithful scribes are suitably domiciled in a much cooler environment.
My colleague Quentin, Q to his friends, was busily messing with his gadgets whilst awaiting the day’s play to unfold. Q showed me a little toy of his that can take an Umpire out from 75 yards. I settled back in my chair to feast my eyes upon the delights that were about to be portrayed in front of us. In addition, I had a cricket match to watch as well.
MCC Universities commenced the day’s play on 92-3, a deficit of 225 runs to Leicestershire’s first innings total of 317. Mo Asad 49* and Basil Akram 28*. It was very humid, with no sun, when play commenced.
Dieter Klein opened the bowling from the Farm Park End, and this certainly brought out the animal in him. His first ball brought a very vociferous appeal for lbw against Akram that the umpire turned down.
With the very next ball Akram (28) was expertly caught above his head by Aadil Ali in the slip cordon. Ali was suitably mobbed by his teammates, that led me to believe that a Pokemon Go character may have been lurking near him.
Asad progressed to his half century (11x4) from 58 balls. Klein was working up a brisk pace, and some of the appealing by his Leicestershire colleagues would have rattled the cages of the Noise Abatement Society. Asad (62) was trapped in front by Klein, reducing the Unis to 113-5 from 24.2 overs.
Then followed a 56 run partnership for the 6th wicket between Robert Semhi and Jack McIver. Their 50 partnership coming up from 91 balls. Semhi (42) departed caught by Zak Chappell running in from the deep mid-wicket boundary, Rob Sayer being the bowler.
McIver (24) went caught at mid-off by Tom Wells again off Sayer, the students now 177-7 from 43.5 overs. Leverock (33) from 30 balls went caught at long leg by Ali off Klein to give the South African express a 5-for on his debut for Leicestershire Second XI.
Then followed a frustrating partnership by Alex Thomson and Alex Lilley. The partnership between Lilley and Thomson had the MCCU Coach Clive Radley somewhat of a nervous wreck. The mere mention of the names had him ducking and swaying from left to right on the Pavilion veranda, his mind flashing back to previous encounters with them in their pomp.
The pair had put on 50 runs from 108 balls, and from the ball after their half-century partnership came up, Lilley (14) was caught at mid-wicket by Rob Taylor off Jigar Naik.
Last man Grundy joined Thomson. Grundy occupied the crease to enable Thomson to go to a hard working 50 (8x4) 98 balls. Just after reaching his half century Thomson was bowled by Rob Taylor. Grundy was 0 not out from 17 balls. A great effort from ‘the horse’ who won a number of Classics, including the 1975 Epsom Derby. Not very often that Grundy brings up the rear.
MCCU all out 277 from 76.2 over, Klein picking up an eye-catching 5-56 from 15 overs. Naik returned miserly figures of 1-48 from 19 overs, as did Sayer, picking up 2-21 from 8 overs. Leicestershire taking a first innings lead of 40 runs.
Ali and Tom Wells opened up for County and both began to strike the ball cleanly. Ali sent the 5th ball of the first over, to the ropes, through the covers. Yet another ball being lost in the surrounding foliage.
Quite a number of balls have been lost as such during this game. In fact I don’t think I have seen so many people looking for lost balls since I played a round of golf with Dan Nice (he hit them, not me, of course).
Ali (16) went caught at first slip, by Steve Bullen, low down to his left. County 24-1. Just 16 runs later Wells went caught to an absolute ‘worldie’. Wells struck the ball firmly, and the trajectory was taking it over mid-on , when fielder McIver running backwards with his arms flailing above his head plucked the ball from the air with his left hand. It saved a certain boundary, but more importantly for the students, dismissing Wells.
County 40-2 from 9.2 overs before Lewis Hill 10* and Rob Taylor 14* took the team into tea on 58-2 from 13 overs. In the second over after tea, from Andrew Westphal, Taylor (15) played the 3rd ball onto his stumps, Leicestershire 69-3 from 14.3 overs.
Michael Burgess joined Hill, and keeper Lowen came up to the stumps to the quicks, as Burgess is prone to giving his version of ‘the charge of the light brigade’ to deliveries he so merits.
Hill was playing a busy innings and found the ropes six times in exquisite fashion. When our new Chancellor Philip Hammond wants to make a few cuts, he should treat himself to a squint at the Lutterworth Legend.
You may recall earlier we had a Lilley/Thomson partnership. Not to be outdone County provided a Burgess/Hill partnership, not a fearsome Aussie pace duo, but a sleepy little town in mid Sussex.
At 5.06pm precisely, there was a distant clap of thunder and lightning, very very frightening (so Queen say in that classic song Bohemian Rhapsody), and the Umpires very sensibly took the players from the pitch.
The heavy rain relented at around 5.30p and the umpires inspected at 6.00pm, but the bowlers’ run-ups were too wet, and play was abandoned for the day. Hill 30*, Burgess 9*. County 88-3 from 17.4 overs, a useful lead of 128 going into the final day. Leicestershire 8 points, MCCU 7 points.
