Unbeaten Glamorgan present next LV=CC challenge

Leicestershire CCC continue a tough run of LV=CC fixtures with a trip to face Glamorgan at Cardiff tomorrow morning (11am start).

Four of County's last five games have been against top two Lancashire and Surrey and the latest challenge is against a Glamorgan side yet to taste defeat in the competition.

The Welsh County are 12 points behind second placed Surrey with a game in hand after an impressive seven-wicket success at Guildford last week.

It was the team's third LV=CC win on the spin and came after Surrey were 208-0 at one point on the first day. A stunning double-century from number eight Graham Wagg was a key feature in the triumph.

There have been some connections between the two sides over the years, including current Somerset all-rounder Jim Allenby, who had a foot in both camps.

Another player who has made an impact for both counties is current Leicestershire captain Mark Cosgrove. The recently turned 31-year-old spent three prolific seasons at Glamorgan and also returned as one of the club’s T20 overseas player in 2011.

He said: ”We had a good game against Glamorgan in he first round of matches and I thought then that they would be there or thereabouts in the table.

“Glamorgan have been playing well and are on a good run but it’s important that we produce the type of performance we know we’re capable of, like the one at Essex, and bounce back from the defeats to Surrey and Lancashire. We were fantastic for all four days at Essex.

“Cardiff is a ground that I know well and I had happy memories at Glamorgan but it will be business as usual. Taking on your former teammates is all part of cricket - it happens a lot in Australia."

Angus Robson (631 at 39.43) and Ned Eckersley (579 at 36.18) are the club’s leading scorers while Charlie Shreck has the most wickets – 33 at 33.84 apiece.

Ben Raine has claimed 31 wickets at 29.06, Clint McKay has snared 27 wickets in six matches at 28.40 and off-spinner Jigar Naik’s eight-for at Lancashire took his seasonal tally to 15 at 32.93.

Leicestershire welcome back overseas star McKay after the Australia seamer was rested at Lancashire while Matthew Boyce and Lewis Hill are part of a 13-man squad.

Ollie Freckingham and James Sykes are also pushing for starts after impressing in the NatWest T20 Blast victory at Birmingham Bears on Friday evening.

Glamorgan have bolstered the ranks ahead of the game with Andy Carter returning from Nottinghamshire for a second loan spell of the season. Andy's brother Matthew, an off-spinner who is also on the staff at Trent Bridge, recently took 7-56 on his first-class debut.

Leicestershire (from): Cosgrove (capt), Agathangelou, Boyce, Eckersley, Freckingham, Hill, McKay, Naik, O’Brien, Raine, Robson, Shreck, Sykes.