Strong opening day against Students

DAY 1 | Leicestershire CCC 100 for one v Loughborough MCCU 153

REPORT | Leicestershire CCC enjoyed a productive opening day of the maiden first-class game of the season against Loughborough MCCU.

The bowling unit produced a highly disciplined display in which a third of the overs were maidens and all ten wickets were taken inside 55 overs.

Opener Ateeq Javid (45*) and No.3 Hassan Azad (39*) then constructed a second wicket partnership worth an unbroken 81 as the hosts closed at a healthy 100 for one.

Azad’s knock was one of several good performances by Foxes debutants as Chris Wright and Will Davis each took three wickets.

Tom Taylor was also highly impressive in also claiming a three-for, gaining good movement to constantly ask questions of a visiting side for whom former Leicestershire CCC Academy batsman Joe Kendall top-scored with an unbeaten 37.

On a cool, overcast but dry morning, captain Paul Horton elected to bowl after winning the toss, and caps were handed to Azad, Davis, Wright, Hassan Azad and Arron Lilley. There was also a maiden first-class game for Alex Evans, who is on the Leicestershire CCC Academy.

The bowlers reduced Loughborough MCCU to 81 for three in the opening session and then cashed in after the break.

Wright got the Foxes off to a good start with his first wicket for the Foxes. The seamer enticed opener Nick Hammond (1) to edge behind to ‘keeper Lewis Hill, and Taylor built on that breakthrough as Tom Haynes (13) played on in attempting to leave.

That left the Students at 21 for 2 after 14 overs, and although a steady stand developed between Nick Welch (18) and Louis Kimber, the former became a first Foxes’ victim of Davis as the paceman nipped one through his defences.

Gavin Griffiths regularly beat the edge with a testing spell from the Bennett End, but Kimber and captain Adam Tillcock got the visitors through to lunch.

Taylor had a purple patch after the interval, dismissing set batsmen Kimber (19) and Tillcock (20) in the space of three balls. The former was bowled and the Students’ skipper feathered through to Hill.

When Wright took a brace of wickets in as many deliveries, slanting one across the left-handed Adam King (7) to find the edge before bowling Chris Sanders (0) with his next delivery, suddenly Loughborough MCCU had slipped to 113 for seven.

The theme of two wickets falling on the same score continued as Davis found the edge of Ben Bhabra (10) before Will Pereira (0) was bowled by a fierce in-swinging yorker first up.

Griffiths wrapped up the innings by trapping Evans (0) in front, and Horton and Javid opened for the Foxes in a six-over period before tea.

The duo took the score to 19 either side of the interval before captain Horton (7) was unfortunate to fall after playing a Sanders delivery on to his wicket.

Azad immediately looked the part, punching drives through mid-on and cover point to the ropes, while Javid was a good foil, being quick to punish anything that strayed in line.

A typically well-timed flick off the pads from Javid brought both his fifth four and the 50-run alliance, while Azad continued to use of the pace well, guiding a couple of fours down to vacant third man as the duo continued to prosper.

FIGURES | Wright 13-7-22-3, Taylor 16-5-26-3, Davis 11-1-46-3, Griffiths 10.5-3-35-1, Dexter 4-2-2-0.

TEAM | Horton (capt), Javid, Azad, Dearden, Dexter, Hill (wk), Lilley, Taylor, Davis, Griffiths, Wright.

PHOTO | Thanks to John Mallett for the photo of Tom Taylor bowling.