Slater makes history on debut
Sun 2 Aug 2020
DAY TWO | Lancashire CCC 322 v Leicestershire 183 for 2
SCORECARD | Available from Cricinfo HERE
REPORT | Leicestershire debutant Ben Slater made history as he became the first Running Fox to post a ton on Championship debut since Michael Thornley versus Glamorgan in 2012.
His first wicket partnership with Hassan Azad placed Leicestershire in a comfortable position in their first innings reply.
Callum Parkinson’s incredible spell with the ball came to a head with back-to-back wickets to bring Lancashire’s innings to an end during the morning session.
The two teams emerged for the second day of Bob Willis Trophy action at Worcestershire with Leicestershire targeting early wickets as they look to race through the remaining four.
Leicestershire opted to take the new ball as the new rules dictate it becomes available after 90 overs of play, but that did not faze Lancashire’s youngster debutant George Balderson who came out in good nick. The 19-year old immediately put Leicestershire on the back foot, hitting Tom Taylor and Chris Wright for early runs.
Balderson’s form would soon falter though as Wright’s delivery had the batsman in two minds. In the end, he was indecisive and could only manage to thick outside edge it through to captain Ackermann who was at second slip and caught comfortably.
Balderson went for 29 and Leicestershire had taken that crucial early wicket that they were targeting and were now looking to capitalise on their momentum with Lancashire sitting on 283 for seven.
In came Tom Bailey but his stint at the crease only lasted 18 minutes before he looked to pull Chris Wright’s short delivery to the leg-side boundary.
However, he did not connect with it as he would have liked, and Tom Taylor plucked the shot out of the air at mid-on to see Bailey off for five.
With Lancashire chewing up the remaining overs in the innings, Ackermann made the brave decision to introduce spin into the Leicestershire attack and with it, the return of Callum Parkinson.
Parkinson bowled beautifully in day one without managing to take a wicket, but his luck would soon change.
First, the former-Lancashire man claimed the wicket of Lamb (27) who advanced down the wicket for the slog, but the delivery nipped through the gate and crashed into the stumps which took Lancashire to 322 for nine.
Ed Moulton was the third and final player to make his debut for Lancashire and has a golden to accompany that feat as Parkinson struck twice in two balls to bring Lancashire’s first innings to an end on 322.
Hassan Azad and Running Foxes debutant Ben Slater emerged to get the Leicestershire reply underway with Tom Bailey donning the nut for Lancashire.
Ben Slater became the 486th player to don the Running Fox as he opened Leicestershire’s reply with his first boundary off his second ball faced.
Hassan Azad finished that same over with a boundary of his own as our new look opening duo looked to see themselves safely through to lunch.
The partnership did make it through to lunch safely having chipped 24 runs off Lancashire’s first innings lead.
Following the resumption of play after lunch, the batting duo saw off the first onslaught of Tom Bailey as he was replaced in the Lancashire attack by Danny Lamb.
Leicestershire were sitting on 40 without loss with Slater leading the way on 26 and Azad characteristically sitting on a 63 ball 14.
The introduction of spin via Tom Hartley by Lancashire captain Dane Vilas halted any Leicestershire advances only as far as the 24th over as the duo accelerated past the 50-run mark with 12 from it, with Azad sitting on 22 and Slater on 37.
Imperious batting from our debutant today earned himself a maiden half-century for the Running Foxes from 85 balls, including 9 fours, and Leicestershire were beginning to chew up the deficit.
The partnership then made it successfully through to tea with the duo controlling the play. Slater earned his eleventh four of the tie which also saw the 100-partnerhsip come up for the Running Foxes moments before the tea break.
This was first 100-run first wicket stand for Leicestershire against Lancashire since Tim Boon and Nigel Briers back in 1993 who put on 132.
Leicestershire went into tea sitting on 102 without loss.
The pair came out from tea and continued in the same vain as they carefully, patiently picked their shots and didn’t give the field a chance.
Hassan Azad soon joined his teammate as he claimed his first half-century of 2020 which came from 145 balls including eight fours.
Soon after and Lancashire had finally broken the 153-run first wicket stand with the wicket of Hassan Azad for 58.
It was Hartley’s delivery which Azad could only edge onto his own pad, which made the ball pop up for Jones who was stood at short leg to easily catch.
The first wicket partnership was broken, but after 58 overs and 153 runs, they more than did their job.
Harry Dearden came to the crease as Ben Slater neared a debut ton for the Running Foxes.
However, the former-Lancashire academy man only lasted 11 minutes before he lofted a Balderson delivery to Dane Vilas stood at extra cover.
Leicestershire were now on 156 for two as captain Colin Ackermann joined Slater in the middle as the Running Foxes would look to quell the momentum that Lancashire would be looking to build.
Ackermann was the man to see Slater through to his debut Championship ton as he forced his shot through Dane Vilas’ single-saving field off the bowling of Lancashire debutant Tom Hartley.
Moments later and the duo of Slater (104) and Ackermann (15) saw day two through to it's close as Leicestershire sit on 183 for two.
Figures (1st inns) | Wright 24-9-52-2, Taylor 23-4-64-2, Klein 20-0-81-3, Mike 17-0-55-0, Parkinson 18.5-4-32-2, Ackermann 5-2-21-1
Bailey 15-7-25-0, Moulton 14-4-35-0, Hartley 20-5-57-1, Lamb 11-1-39-0, Balderson 9-1-21-1, Croft 1-0-6-0
TEAM | Hassan Azad, Ben Slater, Harry Dearden, Colin Ackermann (C), George Rhodes, Harry Swindells (wk), Tom Taylor, Ben Mike, Callum Parkinson, Dieter Klein, Chris Wright.
Lancashire CCC | Alex Davies (wk), Keaton Jennings, Josh Bohannon, Rob Jones, Dane Vilas (c), Steven Croft, Danny Lamb, George Balderson, Tom Bailey, Tom Hartley, Ed Moulton.
IMAGES | Thanks to John Mallett of Outside Off for providing the images throughout the game.
